Joel Harper ’95 and Marcia J. Withers ’74 Honor Musician Bill Withers and Grandmas Everywhere

Joel Harper holds up the book Grandma’s Hands with one hand and points to the cover with the other hand. The front cover features an illustration of a little boy with his grandmother’s arms embracing him. Harper has short dark hair and wears sunglasses and a long-sleeved blue shirt.

In 1971, Grammy-winning musician Bill Withers wrote the song "Grandma’s Hands" in honor of his maternal grandmother. The heartwarming musical tribute reached No. 18 on the Best-Selling Soul Singles chart and No. 42 on the Billboard Hot 100. Fifty years later, two Pitzer alumni have helped adapt it into a children’s book. Joel Harper ’95 and his company, Freedom Three Publishing, collaborated with the late Bill Withers’ wife, Marcia J. Withers ’74, and illustrator R. Gregory Christie to bring the song alive in a picture book of the same name.

August 31, 2023

Press Releases | Spotlights

Crystal Rodriguez ’23: Artist, Community Advocate, and New Resources Student

Claremont, Calif. (July 28, 2023)—Meet Crystal Rodriguez ’23, a New Resources student who graduated as a studio art major and is the new Hecker Community Fellow at Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center (CEC). The CEC utilizes institutional power, partner collaboration, faculty expertise, and student action to advance social justice on campus and in the surrounding community.

July 28, 2023

Press Releases | Sagehen Athletics

From All-Star to Coach: Madison Quan ’22 Makes a Slam Dunk

Madison Quan wears black graduation robe with a purple lei, a gray stole, and an orange and blue stole. Quan holds up the diploma from CGU and tucks a bouquet of red roses in her left arm. Quan has long straight dark brown hair.

Claremont, Calif. (July 20, 2023)—Madison Quan ’22 can boast many firsts. She became the first in her family to graduate from college and the first to graduate from grad school. She earned the first SCIAC Player of the Year title in Pomona-Pitzer women’s basketball history. She joined the first SCIAC women’s basketball team to play internationally against pro teams. Quan keeps her love for the sport alive by coaching her former team and designing team culture workshops at the Hive.

July 20, 2023

Press Releases

Pitzer College’s Alumni Board Introduces New Leadership and Members

Claremont, Calif. (June 6, 2023)—Pitzer College’s Alumni Board embarks on its next chapter with exciting changes in leadership and the introduction of new roles and members. These Alumni Board members will continue and expand their dedication to connecting fellow alumni with one another and the College. As president for the past two years, Diana Bob [Read More...]

June 6, 2023

Press Releases

Sekou Andrews ’94 and Keiko Budech ’14 Receive 2023 Alumni Awards

On the left Keiko Budech wears a teal and pink jumpsuit as she stands and holds a colorful frame with her alumni award certificate. Budech has straight shoulder-length brown hair. On the right Sekou Andrews wears a gray jacket over a black T-shirt and faded jeans with various words and patterns written in blue and black ink. He stands and holds a colorful frame with his alumni award certificate. Andrews has shoulder-length dark brown hair and a beard with dark brown and gray hair.

Claremont, Calif. (May 3, 2023)—Each year, Pitzer College recognizes alumni who exemplify the College’s core values in their profession and in their community and who act in service for the College. Pitzer recognizes Sekou Andrews ’94 as the College’s 2023 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient and Keiko Budech ’14 as the 2023 Young Alumni Achievement Award recipient. Andrews and Budech were honored for a celebration and awards dinner during Pitzer’s Alumni Weekend 2023. Andrews is a Grammy-nominated poet, a two-time poetry slam national champ, a powerful performer, and an inspirational storyteller who has performed for President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Quincy Jones, along with many others. Budech is a community builder, racial equity practitioner and facilitator, and transportation policy expert.

May 3, 2023

Press Releases | Spotlights

Cornella Ver Halen ’83: Teaching ESL With a Novella and a Rolling Chair

Cornella Ver Halen sits across a wood desk from a student and has an open spiral notebook in front of her as she explains something. Ver Halen has short white hair and wears glasses and a black jacket vest over a blue long-sleeved shirt.

Claremont, Calif. (April 26, 2023)—As a teacher, Pitzer alumna Cornella Ver Halen ’83 did not stand by a whiteboard and lecture to students snoozing at their desks. Instead, she rolled. Her chair's little wheels squeaked as she maneuvered to sit beside each student and guide them through whatever they were working on in their workbooks. This was Ver Halen’s teaching style for over 50 years. Until her retirement in December 2022, she was an English as a Second Language (ESL) and sewing teacher at Tri-Community Adult Education/Pioneer Center in Covina. “By working one on one, I let them progress at their own speed,” said Ver Halen. “I said if I couldn’t make grammar interesting, I would quit. I think I succeeded.”

April 26, 2023

Press Releases | Spotlights

Susan Warren ’78 Inspires Children’s Love for Learning on Pitzer’s Campus

Claremont, Calif. (April 24, 2023)—As Pitzer alumna Susan Warren ’78 stands on the campus she knew as a first-generation college student, she laughs joyfully at the sea of red T-shirts and children squealing and romping around the grassy mounds. Such a scene has played out many times since Warren founded Project Think 40 years ago. From the STEAM academic enrichment nonprofit Project Think to Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center, Warren has helped found local, innovative education programming.

April 24, 2023

Press Releases | Spotlights

Sumesh Shiwakoty ’18 Partners With Clinton Global Initiative for Women’s Empowerment App

Claremont, Calif. (April 6, 2023)—The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) welcomed Pitzer alumnus Sumesh Shiwakoty ’18 into the CGI University program and at its annual meeting from March 3 to 5. During the meeting Shiwakoty presented the mobile app that he developed with his colleagues to address gender-based violence in Nepal.

April 6, 2023

Press Releases | Spotlights

Grace Greene ’20 Blends Brain Science, Social Impact, and Tech

Grace Greene wears an orange collared shirt, a silver nose ring, and hoop earrings and has long dark hair in braids.

Claremont, Calif. (March 21, 2023)—Is social media our society’s downfall—or a tool for change? Pitzer College alumna Grace Greene ’20 believes in the latter. As a research associate at the social innovation lab and impact investor Hopelab, Greene combines behavioral science and technology powered by and for youth. Discover how Greene wields her cognitive science major, study abroad experience in four countries, and commitment to social justice to make the digital narrative more inclusive.

March 21, 2023

Press Releases | Sagehen Athletics

Madison Quan ’22 Named D3Hoops.com First Team All-West in Basketball

Madison Quan wears her long dark hair in a ponytail and a white basketball uniform with Pomona-Pitzer in blue text and 12 in orange text on the front. She dribbles the basketball on the court as a player in a black and yellow uniform tries to block her.

Madison Quan ’22 was named to the D3Hoops.com First Team All-West Region team as announced by D3hoops.com. Quan continues to add to her list of accomplishments as a Sagehen after becoming the first Sagehen to earn First Team All-West honors in over 25 years. Quan became the first Sagehen to earn SCIAC Player of the Year honors in program history earlier this season.

March 14, 2023