I breezed through my first three years at Wellesley, not working very hard and not stretching my intellectual capacity nor joining in any extracurricular activities. I got married before my senior year, and I dropped out of the Wellesley scene, except for classes and getting babysitting jobs off the job board to feed my husband and me.

Thirty years went by, and I was in Canada and did not think about Wellesley. Then I finally went to a reunion, and realized how much I had missed. We might not have even known each other during the college years, not currently share the same political or spiritual beliefs, family status or career, but somehow we had a very strong, immediate connection - highly intelligent, motivated women with a shared history.

Enjoying Wellesley alumnae at reunions so much, I sought out alumnae around the world, from Iceland to Thailand. I had a wonderful visit with each one, and learned more about their countries than I could ever learn through books and tour guides.

The most lasting Wellesley Effect was my contact with a Wellesley alum in Bhutan. Long story short, the alum arranged a volunteer job for my husband and me, and now we are adopting a Bhutanese boy whom we met while volunteering - we are first time parents in our 60's! Thanks, Wellesley!