From left: Marsha Rivkin Center E.D. Nancy Sclater, Whitman President George Bridges, Art with Heart E.D. Steffanie Lorig, Senior Lecturer Dr. Kari Tupper, Author Kit Bakke, and Community Leader Colleen Willoughby

I recently had the honor to be invited to speak at Whitman College’s annual Women’s Leadership Symposium – a panel discussion sponsored by Colleen Willoughby (class of ’55). Colleen is a noted Seattle philanthropist who founded CityClub and the Washington Women’s Foundation, and has sponsored these symposiums for more than 20 years, bringing women to share their life stories as inspiration to generations of Whitman students and alumni.

Before the event, we were treated to a wonderful lunch at the President’s home and had a planning meeting at a classmate’s farmhouse. It was an absolute joy to get to know the other panelists –   Kit Bakke, author of “Miss Alcott’s E-mail, Yours for Reforms of All Kinds” and former pediatric oncology nurse; and Nancy Sclater, executive director of the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer Research and Centennial President of the Rotary Club of Seattle.