If you asked me about my Pomona origin story, I’d take you back to the day I received my acceptance letter from Dean Bruce Poch. At the end was a handwritten note detailing my application and experience. No other admission letter had a personal touch. Pomona, a place I couldn’t even afford to visit, showed what it meant to be a small liberal arts college.
That’s one reason the theme of Originals resonates deeply with me. It celebrates what makes Pomona special: creating a place where you’re recognized for who you are and who you are becoming. This is a difficult task, and Pomona delivers.
Like all Sagehens, that was made possible by alumni and donors whose generosity helped me say “Yes!” to Pomona after the College said yes to me. My family couldn’t fully pay for Pomona. I took out loans, earned scholarships and, most important, received generous financial aid, thanks to those who came before me.
Now, I give for those whose origin stories are just being written. Today’s students are tomorrow’s entrepreneurs, doctors, teachers and leaders, and each of us has a role in ensuring these Originals can say “yes,” too. I hope you’ll join me in supporting them.
Chirp!
Robi Ganguly ’00
President,
Pomona College Alumni Association Board
alumni.board.president@pomona.edu