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Dear Members of the Sarah Lawrence Community,
Each year as we move closer to Commencement I find myself thinking about the many ways a Sarah Lawrence education prepares our students for what comes next. The conversations our seniors are having now — about internships that led to job offers, research that shaped grad school plans, community partnerships that clarified a sense of purpose, and creative work that led down unexpected paths — are reminders that learning here has always extended beyond the classroom.
The abundant curricular and co-curricular opportunities available to students at SLC were on display earlier this month at our second Academic Fair, an event that built on the success and momentum of the inaugural fair held in the fall. Events like the Academic Fair make visible not only the range of pathways available to students here, but also the close partnership between students and faculty as they shape an academic experience that connects multidisciplinary exploration with opportunities beyond the classroom.
The synergy between academic learning and hands-on doing is a signature strength of a Sarah Lawrence education. It is a key part of how students deepen their understanding, discover new directions, and begin to imagine the work they want to do beyond college through internships and fieldwork, volunteering, global study, research, and creative practice — opportunities that will soon become more visible, more coordinated, and more accessible with the opening of the Experiential Learning Center and two new initiatives unveiled this semester.
I was delighted to give graduating seniors a preview tour of the new center yesterday as we wrap up construction and prepare for the move of various offices this summer. Located in the front portion of the Performing Arts Center along Glen Washington Road, the Experiential Learning Center brings Career Services, Community Partnerships & Engagement, Global Education, SLC EmbeddEd, and pre-professional advising together in one place. With closer proximity, increased collaboration, and greater visibility, the Center will streamline students’ ability to explore possibilities, make connections, and translate their academic interests into real-world experience from their first semester through graduation. Designed with the future in mind, the Center models environments that students are likely to encounter as they enter the workforce, such as co-working spaces. And, in one of my favorite features of the space, the new entry plaza includes benches topped with unused marble from the Remy Theatre and native plantings, linking this project to our broader commitment to adaptive reuse as we reimagine our campus to meet the needs of today’s students.
Students who participate in experiential learning opportunities are better prepared for life after college. Through our new Internships for All program, every undergraduate student is supported in pursuing at least one meaningful experiential learning opportunity before they graduate, with the possibility of doing many. True to SLC’s individualized approach to education, these experiences complement students’ academic interests and career aspirations, and may take many forms, such as internships and fieldwork, faculty-led research, global work experiences, and community-based learning and civic engagement. Internships for All is designed as a four-year pathway rather than a single moment in a student’s education; that’s what makes it so powerful.
Also just launched is a summer session of the SLC EmbeddEd course, Navigating Workplace Communications, which extends one of our most distinctive programs beyond the academic year and opens it to students outside of Sarah Lawrence. This eight-week, three-credit class is taken alongside a student’s summer internship, helping them gain both an academic and experiential understanding of key concepts related to their summer — and future — work experiences. Our summer intern housing makes it possible for students — again, both SLC and non-SLC — to avail themselves of the many internship opportunities just a short train ride away in New York City regardless of where they call home.
As we celebrate the College’s centennial year, these initiatives remind us of the many ways our present is rooted in our past. From its founding, Sarah Lawrence embraced a multidisciplinary, hands-on approach to education that invites students to participate actively in shaping their learning and their futures. That timeless spirit continues to guide us today, even as the timely forms it takes evolve to meet new opportunities and new needs.
In these final days of the semester, as we celebrate the achievements of the Class of 2026 and look ahead to the opportunities waiting for them beyond campus, I am especially grateful for the many faculty, staff, alumni, family, friends, and community partners who make this important work possible every day. Your mentorship, creativity, and collaboration help ensure that a Sarah Lawrence education continues to prepare students not only to understand the world, but to be active participants in shaping it.
Yours,
Cristle Collins Judd
President
president@sarahlawrence.edu
Instagram: @slcprez
Commencement is Coming!
As I’ve shared with you previously, this year’s Commencement speaker will be Emmy-winning showrunner, director, and novelist Noah Hawley ’89. I’m delighted to announce that New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins will receive a Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, at this year’s ceremony. President Pro Tempore and Majority Leader of the New York State Senate, she is the longest-serving Democratic Majority Leader in New York State Senate history, and the first woman and African American woman to occupy this role. Her tenure is distinguished by significant legislative achievements and a steadfast commitment to addressing the needs of New Yorkers.
This year’s Commencement program cover and related materials will feature artwork (pictured above) by Keilani Talma ’26, selected through our annual senior artwork competition. “Windows of Possibility” (acrylic and mixed media on canvas) is quite stunning, and Keilani is quite impressive; read more about her here.
Last but not least, Philosophy faculty member Scott Shushan will deliver the annual Senior Lecture bearing the theme, “A Life of Learning” on May 6. Scott’s popular “Night of Philosophy” event, which invites students to present short papers, exhibit artwork, and read from fictional works that contend with philosophical ideas, was recently featured on the Sarah Lawrence Podcast. Give it a listen!