Alumnae Panel: Reflections on the Mount Vernon Experience

Left to right: Fremerman, Berberich, Gill & GWAA President Jim Core

On Nov. 3, the George Washington University Alumni Association (GWAA) held its annual board meeting on the beautiful Mount Vernon Campus in Washington, DC. Before beginning official business, the association took time to celebrate the history and traditions of the campus, formerly Mount Vernon Seminary and College for Women, through a panel discussion with Mount Vernon alumnae, as well as a current GW student.

The panelists were Gloria Berberich, AA MVC ’48, Jinder Gill, BA MVC ’99, and current student Priya Fremerman, class of 2014. The panel focused on the unique experiences of the alumnae who attended Mount Vernon College and the students who live on the Mount Vernon Campus today.

Berberich and Gill offered their perspectives on the value of women’s leadership and education, and discussed how the city and campus have changed throughout the years.

Berberich reminisced about the history of the Mount Vernon College and recalled her first time seeing the newly finished campus. Gill described the common bond she shared with her fellow students. “This close community of friends made my college experience special,” she said. Both women emphasized the value of networking, citing important connections they made through their knowledgeable peers and professors.

Fremerman, a current biological anthropology major and public health minor, is an alumna of the Elizabeth J. Somers Women’s Leadership Program (WLP), a selective, year-long, living and learning program for freshmen women of any school at GW. The program is offered only on the Mount Vernon Campus, and commemorates and preserves the vision of the founder of Mount Vernon College and Seminary, Elizabeth J. Somers. Fremerman described her time in the program and how WLP continues to impact her GW experience.

Following the panel, the group took a tour of the Mount Vernon Campus, featuring the newly developed West Hall residence building and dining space, the historic Post Hall dining room (now used for meetings and receptions), and Eckles Library.

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