When she realized so many of her peers maintained deep connections with their schools, Daphne Philipson decided to reconnect with Barnard. “I was a transfer student and a commuter,” she says, “not the type of person who would be all that involved.” But, she decided to volunteer for Barnard, first as a BAAR, interviewing prospective students and attending high school college fairs. Philipson then served on the Alumnae Association’s Fellowship Committee, which awards stipends to alumnae who wish to pursue graduate work. She was a founding member of Project Continuum, as well as a founding director and a still-active member of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies. She was her class fund-raising chair for many years and chaired the Annual Giving Committee for two terms. Philipson also served as treasurer of the Alumnae Association’s board.
Being a part of Barnard’s alumnae community has been about more than just volunteering. “Everything I’ve done I’ve really enjoyed,” she says, but it’s not just the giving back that she finds so rewarding: “I’ve met so many incredible women, and not just in my class. I have more Barnard friends than are in my graduating class!” Watching programs like Project Continuum and the Athena Center “grow and blossom” over the years has been the highlight of her service to Barnard, she says. “To see where the Athena Film Festival is now, after six years, is incredible. It’s so fun to be there from the beginning and see things prosper—see things start up and then take off."
