In addition to providing a support system for current Marlborough students, the alumnae committee has taken extra steps to comfort Los Angeles alums who have lost their homes, and therefore their valuable Marlborough memorabilia. Only days after the fires began, the alumnae committee sent an email to all alumnae and posted on social media to spread awareness about their ability to give back memories and cherished items.
“It was important to us to give the alumnae an update on the school and how we are supporting students, but additionally to support the alumnae community,” The Director of Advancement, Sarah Singer said. “We wanted to know how we could help, and what would be the most meaningful for the alums.”
Per requests of the alums, Marlborough is working hard to reorder and reprint memorabilia such as diplomas, rings, pins and even old photos from school dances. Besides the committee, volunteers and archivists are digging through storages to find photos that would be meaningful to graduates. The school has also set up communication between alumnae who would be willing to donate their old items, such as less important yearbooks from a year that they were not graduating, to those who lost their own.
Alum Lauren Seidel class of 2023, recently lost her house to the Palisades fire, and was able to request a yearbook from her graduating year. After finding out about the email from the alumnae committee from a friend who also lost her house, Seidel was relieved to be given the opportunity to have such important items restored.
“Even though the writing and memories inside my yearbook can’t be replaced, the actions of the alumnae committee and the means to have my old memorabilia back makes the hard times a little bit better,” Seidel said.
In addition to the many alums who filled out the form requesting old items, Seidel felt that her yearbook was extremely significant to her because it was more personal than the rest. Though both rings and pins hold valuable memories, the yearbooks and the photos inside show what life was like as a Marlborough student, and how special the school is for the alums.
Ultimately, Marlborough’s approach of returning old memorabilia helped the community of alumni who might have been struggling with the loss of their homes. Especially when life feels very uncertain and unpredictable, the return of old memories can potentially alleviate just a little bit of distress.
“Knowing that I can replace such fond items provides a sense of comfort in a time that is so stressful and scary,” Siedel said. “I am grateful to have a support system like Marlborough even after I graduated.”
