Tag Archives: 25th Reunion

May 11, 2018 · 10:48 am

Penn Commencement 1993

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

Penn commencement 1993

The Penn Class of 1993 processes into Franklin Field for commencement, May 1993

Twenty-five years ago the Penn Class of 1993 celebrated their last week on campus as Penn students with a wonderful slate of activities for Senior Week. Then we participated in our first Alumni Day by marching down Locust Walk in the alumni parade of classes. After individual school graduation ceremonies during the weekend, the Baccalaureate service, and dinners with family and friends that were in Philadelphia for the celebration, we gathered in Super Block, processed through campus and down Locust Walk, and entered Franklin Field for the University’s 237th Commencement ceremony.

Penn Commencement 1993

The Senior Class Board gathers in Super Block. They will lead the class down Locust Walk and into Franklin Field

Classmates shared many photos with us, and this is only a selection from the day. It was the last Commencement ceremony for Penn President Sheldon Hackney as he left Penn to serve as the head of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He and wife Lucy were awarded honorary degrees. Our Commencement speaker was the new First Lady of the United States, Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The Graduation Goodbyes supplement from The Daily Pennsylvanian, photo courtesy of Alex Dunne

We were blessed with beautiful weather, a celebratory atmosphere and memories to last a lifetime.

Penn classmates gathering in Super Block
Penn classmates gathering in Super Block: Mitchell Kraus, Lisa Bardfeld Shapiro, Marianne Alves and Kiera Reilly
Penn classmates gathering in Super Block: photo courtesy of Lisa Nass Grabelle

As many of us are returning to campus this weekend to celebrate our 25th Reunion, we are looking back fondly at photos that trigger happy memories of our time at Penn and the lifetime friends we made at this very special University.

Photos courtesy of Lincoln Singleton and John Hogue

Classmate Brian Newberry stated beautifully why this time in our lives was so special and why we are returning to campus this weekend:

Reading the postings in this forum (our Penn Class of 1993 Facebook group) over the past several months and especially over the past few weeks as more and more people began sharing memories got me thinking about why a reunion like this has such appeal to so many. We had about 2,200 graduates in our class and close to a 1,000 or so are in this forum alone. I remember once years ago, it may even have been just after graduation, flipping through the yearbook and doing a very rough count of how many people in our class I actually knew. It was around 300 – and I used a very generous definition of “knew” – so it isn’t because most of know most of us.

Even the postings in here show how different so many of us were and are, with our lives taking all kinds of various paths since 1993 never mind the fact that an urban school with 9,000 undergraduates has so many silos it was easy to get lost in them as students and never cross paths with most of your fellow classmates in the first place.

So what is it? Why the appeal to suddenly get together for a few days with some old friends plus a cast of strangers? That age, late teens to early 20s, regardless of background, is the crucible of what makes someone into who they are for the rest of their lives. Each and every person you experience that with becomes, in their own way, special to you, even if you never see them again. Likewise, anyone who shared that same environment with you, even if you didn’t know them, shares a kinship forever and that bond has some type of magical appeal.

Relationships and experiences. That is what matters most in life, something I hope we all realize by this age. … It is inevitable in the human experience I suspect regardless of what you spent your time doing at that age. All of us, even if we have never met each other, share our own common experience from that same crucial era and what are memories except a chance to relive an experience, preferably a pleasant one and what is a reunion but a chance to make those experiences come back to life for a few days?

So I want to thank everyone who has contributed here and I genuinely hope to meet all of you at some point next weekend.

Enjoy this stroll down memory lane.

Maceo Grant shared this photo of him and his mom at the College graduation ceremony.

Penn College graduation 1993

College graduate Maceo Grant and his mother Doris Grant

Classmates gathering in Super Block
Penn Commencement 1993

Looking back to Super Block as we walk over the 38th Street Bridge

Penn commencement 1993

The class processes over the 38th Street Bridge

After gathering in Super Block, we began to walk through campus on our way to Franklin Field. We passed by the reviewing stand with Penn President Sheldon Hackney, the honorary degree recipients and the Commencement speaker, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.

Penn Commencement 1993

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Penn President Sheldon Hackney on College Green watching the procession. Photo by Wendy Spander

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, Nursing Dean Claire Fagin and Penn President Sheldon Hackney
The First Lady and Penn President process to Franklin Field
Processing into Franklin Field
The graduates on Franklin Field

 

penn Commencement 1993

First Lady Hillary Clinton photo courtesy of Wendy Spander

Penn commencement 1993

First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton walks through the graduates on Franklin Field

Keith Waxelman, Wendy Spander and Scott Schwartz, photo courtesy of Wendy Spander
photo courtesy of Wendy Spander
Penn Commencement 1993

Graduates seated on Franklin Field

Penn Commencement 1993

The Penn Class of 1993

Decorative graduation caps
Kiera Reilly and Meg O’Leary
Photo courtesy of Wendy Spander

 

 

We can’t believe it’s been twenty-five years, and we can’t wait to celebrate with classmates and fellow alumni from across the decades this weekend.

Meet me at the Button!

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion #93tothe25th

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

The weekend of May 4 – 5, marked 1 week until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 14, 2018)! Meet us at the Button!

Register NOW to attend our 25th Reunion!

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
  • Donate to The Penn Fund in honor of our reunion! We want to break the 25th reunion participation giving record and every gift matters!
  • Book your hotel room or AirBnB now! See our class website for details.
  • Tag all of your social media posts #penn1993 and #pennalumni!

 

 

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May 5, 2018 · 11:18 pm

Penn 1993 Love Connections – Part 5

Back in February, we asked classmates that are “Penn couples” to share their stories of how they met, their Penn connection and photos. We featured four installments of Penn 1993 Love Connections, and we still have stories to share!

Enjoy Penn 1993 Love Connections Part 5!

Included in this post:

  • Minal Damani Kundra, W’93, and Monish Kundra, W’95, ENG’95
  • Dominic Napolitano, Eng’93, WG’00, and Maria Fokina Napolitano, GSAS’00
  • Brian Eck, Eng’93, and Katy McCabe, C’94
  • Sukanya Srinivasan, Eng’93, and Henry Willis, C’93
  • Jean-Pierre Mobasser, C’93, and Erica Mobasser, C’93
  • Lisa Noguchi, C’93, NU’95, GNU’97, and Matthew Reeves, C’93

Minal Damani Kundra, W’93, and Monish Kundra, W’95, ENG’95

I met Monish Kundra at a party for a mutual friend in early 2006, over a decade after we had both graduated from Penn in different classes.  The party was one of those occasions where I knew everyone who was going to be there and recall asking myself as I finished getting ready, “What’s the point?!”   I saw Monish across the room, seemingly single, and decided to use that moment to congratulate the guest of honor who was chatting with Monish at the time. Our friend introduced us and suggested I probably knew Monish’s brother Raj Kundra (W’93), which was true as I knew Raj as well as all his college roommates.  After establishing several fun connections, Monish and I closed down a restaurant on our first date a few weeks later, and our lives went into overdrive after that…moving in together, buying our first house, planning our destination wedding on Fisher Island in Miami, getting engaged, and tying the knot in March 2008…roughly in that order!  We welcomed our son Sachin six days before our one-year anniversary and our daughter Karina came along in 2011.  We will celebrate our 10-year anniversary this year along with countless adventures, lots of laughs, cherished moments, and rewarding lives together in Washington, DC.

Minal Damani Kundra, W’93, and Monish Kundra, W’95, ENG ’95
Minal Damani Kundra, W’93, and Monish Kundra, W’95, ENG ’95 with their children

Dominic Napolitano, Eng’93, WG’00, and Maria Fokina Napolitano, GSAS’00

Maria and I met on an otherwise empty Metro car during the early-morning commute into Washington D.C.  She was applying to graduate school, and I hinted that she might want to consider Penn.  It took some convincing, but eventually I won her over to the Red and Blue.  Two years later, we married in Philadelphia, and I joined her back at Penn, for my own graduate work. Our daughter, Natalie, was born at University Hospital shortly before we graduated; given our frequent moves, she always thought of Philadelphia as home.  Now, eighteen years later, our little girl is going back to Penn as a freshman, in the fall. We hope to give her younger brothers (Anton – 15, Alex – 6, and Max – 3) the hint too. We live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Dominic Napolitano, EEng ’93, WG’00, and Maria Napolitano, GSAS ’00, with their daughter Natalie who is going to enter Penn as a freshman this fall
Dominic Napolitano, EEng ’93, WG’00, and Maria Napolitano, GSAS ’00, with their children
Brian Eck, Eng’93, and Katy McCabe, C’94
We are Brian Eck, ENG ’93, and Katy McCabe, CAS ’94. We met in a club called the Progressive Student Alliance when I was a junior and Katy was a sophomore. We’re looking forward to seeing old friends in May!
Brian Eck, Eng’93, and Katy McCabe, C’94, met through the Progressive Student Alliance at Penn.

Sukanya Srinivasan, Eng’93, and Henry Willis, C’93

Sukanya Srinivasan, Eng’93, and Henry Willis, C’93, met as freshmen in Hill House in the fall of 1989, when he asked her if she was one of the Graduate Fellows for the floor! Many conversations and pieces of leftover cake from LeBus catering later, they began working together on environmental issues with the Penn Environment Group with the highlights being organizing Earth Day celebrations and finally getting the recycling bins put in along Locust Walk.  Yeah!  Things got cemented by senior  year when they took a summer camping trip across the country, hitting 10 national parks in 28 days and realizing they could survive  each other’s cooking and enjoy a lot together! The next few years were long distance but then they both ended up (after much strategizing) in Pittsburgh, PA by the fall of 1998, when Sukanya started family medicine residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Henry started a PhD at Carnegie Mellon shortly thereafter.  They finally got married in 1999 with many PENN friends in attendance and have been here in ‘da Burgh since with their two kids, Neel and Anisha.  Still cooking together after all these years!

Sukanya Srinivasan, Eng’93, and Henry Willis, C’93
Jean-Pierre Mobasser, C’93, and Erica Mobasser, C’93
We cannot recall for sure if we met for the first time at a dreadful off campus performance of Waiting for Godot, or at a Beta Theta Pi party, but it was at the end of sophomore year, and probably with a little help from my roommates and his fraternity brothers.
Our first official date was at the White Dog Cafe followed by drinks at the Palladium. Our second date was at Magnolia Cafe in downtown Philadelphia followed by Borgia cafe on South Street. Sadly most of these establishments no longer exist!!
We were married in 1997. We have lived in Augusta Ga, Memphis Tn, and now Indianapolis for the past 14 years. We have three children ages 19, 17, and 15.
Erica Mobasser, C’93, and Jean-Pierre Mobasser, C’93, at Penn’s graduation in 1993

Lisa Noguchi, C’93, NU’95, GNU’97, and Matthew Reeves, C’93

Lisa Noguchi, C’93, and Matthew Reeves, C’93

 

Love these Penn Love stories?

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion #93tothe25th

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th. Meet us at the Button!

Register NOW to attend our 25th Reunion!

  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
  • Donate to The Penn Fund in honor of our reunion! We want to break the 25th reunion participation giving record and every gift matters!
  • Book your hotel room or AirBnB now! See our class website for details.
  • Tag all of your social media posts #penn1993 and #pennalumni or #lovepenn!
  • Watch our Button challenge video!

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April 23, 2018 · 3:20 am

The ’93-second Survey Results

By Kiera Reilly, C’93

In January, we asked classmates a few questions about their memories of Penn and our upcoming reunion. As luck would have it, this short quiz only took classmates 93 seconds to complete! The results have been tabulated, and we are excited to share them here.

Have you visited Penn since we graduated in 1993?

  • Yes, 77.53% of respondents had visited campus and within the last five years.
  • Yes, 20.22% had visited campus but more than five years ago.
  • Only 2.25% had not visited campus since we graduated.

Have you attended any of our Class of ’93 Penn Reunions?

  • 21.35% said they had never attended a reunion.
  • 28.09% said they attended at least one reunion.
  • 35.96% had attended more than one reunion but not all reunions.
  • And a dedicated 14.61% have attended all of our Penn reunions.

Are you planning to attend our 25th Reunion on campus May 11 – 14, 2018?

  • 4.49% had no interest (and that makes us sad).
  • 7.87% are interested but unable to attend (which bums us).
  • 19.10% were on the fence? On the fence? How about on the button? Meet us there!
  • 68.54% are planning to attend and can’t wait to see everyone in May!

Haven’t registered yet? You can register here!

If you are planning to attend the reunion, have you reserved a hotel room?

  • 15.66% live locally so do not need a room.
  • 4.82% are staying with friends.
  • 21.69% had yet to reserve a room (remember this survey was done in January).
  • 57.83% had reserved a room already (in January!!).

Who are you most excited to see at our reunion in May?

  • 47.36% were excited to see their roommates
  • 32.89% were excited to see fraternity or sorority sisters
  • 32.89% were most excited to see friends from student groups
  • 15.79% looked forward to seeing friends from their major
  • 13.16% hoped to see performing arts friends.
  • 5.26% were excited to see sports teammates
  • 3.95% were excited to see old flames

What is your favorite building on campus?

This was a free-form response, so we were curious to see what everyone wrote.

Some of the more interesting answers:

“my wife.” ??? um, maybe this refers to the question about who you’re most excited to see?

“Subway” – interesting choice, but going down the stairs to take the trolleys into Center City was a new experience for many of us freshman year.

“Does Smokes count?” Yes, yes it counts, and we think this is one of our favorite spots (though technically not “on campus”).

Smokey Joe's at Penn

Smokey Joe’s

Twenty-two percent of classmates listed the Quad as their favorite building.

The Quad at Penn
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Lower Quad at Penn in the snow

The lower Quad in the snow

The most popular building on campus (according to 38.96% the Class of 1993) is the Furness Building . Classmates may recall that it was closed for restoration for a bit while we were students.

Furness Building home to the Fisher Fine Arts Library
Inside the Fisher Fine Library, aka the Furness Building

Fisher Fine Arts Building Frank Furness Penn

 

Here are some of the other buildings mentioned by classmates as their favorites.

Receiving five votes

The Palestra! That’s fitting since our Ivy Stone is on the front side of the building

The Palestra
The Palestra during a basketball game

College Hall – probably the most iconic building on Penn’s campus

College Hall at Penn

College Hall

Receiving three mentions each

Irvine Auditorium

Irvine Auditorium at Penn

Exterior of Irvine Auditorium at the corner of Spruce and 34th Streets

Steinberg-Dietrich

Wharton School Steinberg-Dietrich Hall

The Wharton School’s Steinberg-Dietrich Hall

Receiving two mentions

The old Bookstore

We can’t seem to locate a picture of the old Bookstore (that was at Locust Walk and 38th Street). The building was demolished to make way for the Wharton School’s Huntsman Hall building in recent years.

Huntsman Hall Wharton School at Penn

Huntsman Hall occupies the area between Walnut Street and Locust Walk along 38th Street, where the Penn bookstore stood when we were students

Van Pelt

Not our favorite building but two people liked it. We should note that inside has been remodeled and it is worth looking inside when you are back for reunion to see how the space has been transformed. And the Button is in front of Van Pelt, so we’ll all be seeing it in a few weeks.

Van Pelt Library at Penn and the Split Button

Van Pelt Library and the Button

Houston Hall

Houston Hall at Penn

Houston Hall, the nation’s oldest student union building

These buildings received one vote or mention

DuBois College House

DuBois College House at Penn

W. E. DuBois College House – note the large building in the background – those are private off-campus apartments across Walnut Street

Locust Walk (not a building but we’ll accept this)

Locust Walk at Penn

Locust Walk

The chapel / Women’s Center

The current location of the Women’s Center was a fraternity when we were students. We think the women’s center was located in the Palladium building at one point? Does anyone remember?

Penn Women's Center

Penn Women’s Center at 36th and Locust Walk

Towne Building

Towne Building at Penn

Towne Building

Moore School

Moore Building at Penn

Moore Building at the corner of 33rd and Walnut Streets

Tannenbaum Quad

We were confused by this since there’s The Quad, which is a dormitory, and then there’s Tanenbaum Hall which houses the Biddle Law Library for the Law School.

Tanenbaum hall at Penn

Tanenbaum Hall is part of the Law School

University Museum

The Museum’s Middle Eastern galleries re-opened recently and are worth a visit if you have time while on campus. Note in the photo below Penn Tower behind the Museum. Penn Tower is no longer…you’ll have to visit campus to see what’s there now.

University Museum at the University of Pennsylvania

The University Museum

Franklin Field

Franklin Field at Penn

Franklin Field

 

There are so many old buildings to re-visit during Alumni Weekend, but there are many new additions to campus too. Most of these favorite buildings remain, but it is worth spending time taking a building tour during the weekend or wandering around on your own to see how Penn’s campus has changed since 1993.

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion #93tothe25th

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

The weekend of April 6 – 7, marked 5 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 14, 2018)! Meet us at the Button!

Register NOW to attend our 25th Reunion!

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
  • Donate to The Penn Fund in honor of our reunion! We want to break the 25th reunion participation giving record and every gift matters!
  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Book your hotel room or AirBnB now! See our class website for details.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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March 29, 2018 · 4:24 pm

Commencement Again – 25 Years Later

By Kiera Reilly, C’93, Lisa Nass Grabelle, C’93, L’96, and Heidi Howard Tandy, C’92
One of many Penn traditions is the alumni parade of classes during Commencement. The University’s Commencement ceremony is traditionally held on the Monday immediately following Alumni Weekend.
Penn Commencement in Franklin Field

Penn Commencement in Franklin Field

Graduates gather in various spots around campus ahead of the ceremony and then march with their undergraduate or graduate school classmates down Locust Walk, past Van Pelt and College Hall, then across 34th Street, by the Engineering buildings and arrive at Franklin Field for the Commencement ceremony.
Penn Commencement 2014 the alumni procession enters Franklin Field led by the Class of 1944.
Penn commencement 2017 entering Franklin Field with the alumni procession
Penn commencement 2010 entering Franklin Field with the alumni procession
Penn Commencement 2017 the 25th reunion class of 1992 walks through the graduates on Franklin Field
Lining Locust Walk as the graduates process is the alumni parade of classes.  Representatives from every undergraduate class year stand on either side of Locust Walk, holding their class flag and cheering for the graduates. There are two special groups among the alumni procession – the 25th and 50 reunion classes.
Penn Commencement alumni class representatives

Walking through the Alumni Class representatives in front of the Sweeten Alumni House on Locust Walk

Penn tradition honors the 25th Reunion class by inviting us to march in the commencement procession. We strongly encourage you to remain on campus through commencement. It is the happiest day of the year at Penn, and it is very special to see the new graduates proceed down Locust Walk, lined on either side by Penn Alumni.
Penn Commencement 1993 Hillary Rodham Clinton

Commencement at Penn 1993, marching past Commencement Speaker First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Penn President Sheldon Hackney

We invite you to re-live the happy day twenty-five years ago when we graduated from Penn by joining us and your fellow 1993 classmates and walking as a class in the alumni procession into Franklin Field for commencement. The deadline to register to join us is Sunday, April 1st. Click here to register now!
Penn Class of 1993 senior class board commencement

Led by class president Michael Scoops Rosenband and the Senior Class Board, the Penn Class of 1993 enters Franklin Field for Commencement, May 1993

Last year, member of the Class of 1992 marched in Commencement, and Heidi Howard Tandy, C’92, shared her thoughts with us:

The experience of walking with your class down Locust Walk in cap and gown isn’t just a once-in-a-lifetime experience; being able to march at your 25th reunion (and your 50th) gives you another moment to reconnect with your classmates on Commencement Morning, and celebrate the new graduates with applause, cheers and a magical Hurrah! Hurrah! And if you don’t remember what it was like to walk into Franklin Field on Commencement Day, here’s your chance to refresh your recollections!

The class of 1992 gathers to march in Penn’s commencement, May 1992
Commencement Program 2017 listing the representatives from the 25th reunion class of 1992
Class of 1992 on Locust Walk for Commencement last year
L-R Ira Hillman, Brad Richards and Heidi Howard Tandy march with their 25th reunion class of 1992
Penn Commencement Class of 1992 25th reunion

The Class of 1992 celebrates their 25th Penn reunion by marching in Commencement, May 2017.

Class of 1993 President Lisa Nass Grabelle has represented our class many times at commencement. She highly recommends that you join us!
As our class president I have had the honor to march in graduation several times over the years, carrying our class flag in the alumni procession, as well as marching in 1996 at my Penn Law graduation with lots of fellow Penn Law/Penn ’93 grads.  To be among a literal sea of Penn graduates and alumni is a moving experience.  It reminds me of the excitement I felt the first time I marched during our graduation with my best friends and housemates (4049 Locust) by my side.  While marching today is so different since there are tons of cell phones being held up to capture the experience and no more Palladium to pass by, the Penn tradition is very much the same as it was for us in 1993, and I am sure way back for decades and decades.  I hope that many of you choose to join me and the Class of 93 as we march on Monday after reunion weekend to celebrate our 25th anniversary.  This is an honor the University bestows on us to be recognized for our special and BIG reunion!
Commencement 2009 Parade of Classes
Commencement 2014 the alumni class representatives line Locust Walk

Commencement Information

The University of Pennsylvania’s 262nd Commencement ceremony will take place on Monday, May 14, 2018 in Franklin Field at 10:15 a.m., and will be preceded by student and academic processions through campus. The ceremony will feature the conferral of degrees, the awarding of honorary degrees, greetings by University officials, and remarks by the Commencement speaker, Andrea Mitchell, CW’67, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent, NBC News and Host of “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” MSNBC. To see the complete list of honorary degree recipients, click here.

If you are marching with our class, start time is 8 AM for Continental Breakfast and Robing. The procession across campus begins at 9 AM; with the ceremony beginning at 10:15 AM. Rain or shine. A light lunch is provided after Commencement in Sweeten Alumni House.

You can register to participant when you register for our 25th Reunion.

You must RSVP by April 1 to order regalia and be listed in the Commencement Program.

 

Kiera Reilly marches in 2008’s commencement with our class flag
Ccmmencement May 2012. Brad Richards, ’92, and Chrissy Bass Hofbeck, ’93, carrying their respective class flags in the alumni procession
Caroline Waxler carried our class flag for Commencement in 2016

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion #93tothe25th

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

The weekend of February 23 – 24, marked 11 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 14, 2018)! Meet us at the Button!

Register NOW to attend our 25th Reunion!

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.
  • Donate to The Penn Fund in honor of our reunion! We want to break the 25th reunion participation giving record and every gift matters!
  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!

Book Your Hotel Room for Alumni Weekend NOW!

The Marriott Downtown (where we had a Penn 1993 and a Penn Alumni room block) is sold out for Alumni Weekend. There are alternative hotels nearby. Some classmates are booking via AirBnB. We recommend booking ASAP! Please see our class website for additional details.

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November 28, 2017 · 9:08 am

Why We Give – Giving Tuesday with Penn 1993 (24 Weeks To Go)

By the Class of 1993 Reunion Gift Committee

Thanksgiving.

Black Friday.

Cyber Monday.

Giving Tuesday.

Giving Tuesday Giving Red and Blue Day The Penn Fund

Today, on Giving Tuesday, we asked the Class of 1993 Reunion Gift Committee to share the reasons why they give to Penn.

This fiscal year, the year of our 25th Penn Reunion, we’re striving to set a new record of 1,047 class donors. The previous record was set by the class of 1982 in their 25th reunion year and has not been touched for 11 years; no other class has even reached 850 donors.

Gifts of any size—from $25 to $25,000—help the Class of 1993 get to this participation milestone. Help us reach our goal by making a gift today: www.pennfund.upenn.edu/penn93

Penn Class of 1993 Ivy Stone on the Palestra

Penn Class of 1993 Ivy Stone

The passion and engagement of our class should make setting a new record a breeze—but we need you to get there! For more inspiration, read why our fellow classmates give back to Penn:

Sapna Shah, C’93, W’93

Educational access is a cause I deeply care about and by giving scholarship funds to Penn, I’m supporting students who might not otherwise get to experience all that Penn has to offer. Penn was transformative to me and I want other students to have those same opportunities.

Fred Goltz, C’93, W’93

My reasons for giving to Penn are pretty simple:  to repay in some small measure what Penn has given and continues to give to me.  The opportunities afforded to me by my association with Penn have truly been life changing.  Helping to provide those same opportunities to future generations is not just effective philanthropy; it is a constant reminder of the importance of education as a critical stepping-stone to progress and hope.

Penn Class of 1993 flag #93tothe25th

Our Penn Class of 1993 flag

Jason Pantzer, C’93

It has been 25 years since I graduated Penn and each time I return I am impressed by new, exciting, and revolutionary developments on campus.  Penn continues to evolve and improve as one of the top universities in the country.  As a supporter of Penn, I am proud to know that each donation is used to invest in its students, campus and community in an extremely thoughtful manner.

Rachel Wagman, MD, C’93

I am passionate about the undergraduate experience at Penn – the depth and breadth of opportunities across the academic compass, and the freedom to engage with some of the top minds and leading thinkers across disciplines. University Life represents a key area of focus in my endeavor to make a contribution to benefit others: it is humbling to help students touch the experience that is Penn.

Darren Fogel, W’93

Penn is one of the finest universities in the country. The school’s reputation is bolstered by the ability of alumni to support its many unique academic and extracurricular programs and by offering assistance to those outstanding students who otherwise would not be able to attend. Our efforts help ensure the continued success of the University.

Herald Chen, ENG’93, W’93

Penn had a tremendously positive impact on me. Importantly, it is an experience that I could not have had without assistance from Penn’s financial aid and grant programs. Further, Penn is an even better institution than when I attended, but what also comes with that is an increasing cost. As the largest university in the nation to have grant-based financial aid, Penn’s undergraduate financial aid budget requires in excess of $200 million per year. Therefore, my wife and I enjoy giving to the Penn through the Penn Fund, Undergraduate Scholarships and the M&T Program as a way to ‘pay it forward’.

Ben on the Bench at the University of Pennsylvania #93tothe25th

Ben on the Bench with Penn 1993

Brett Barth, W’93

I give to Penn for many reasons.  But it was one of the most important and transformative experiences of my life.  I feel compelled to give back and Penn is worthy of my support.  It continues to improve and evolve to stay one of the preeminent universities in the world. There are many ways to give to Penn, but supporting Undergraduate scholarships and the Penn Fund (also contributing to undergraduate financial aid) are the most impactful. You are giving a gift of a Penn education and the experience that meant so much to me to those who could not otherwise afford it.

Michelle Peluso, W’93

I give to Penn for a very simple reason – it helped shape me into the person I am by introducing me to people and ideas that vastly expanded my world, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.  And just as much, perhaps now more than ever when our world is facing so much division, I want others to have that same unbelievable opportunity.

Lincoln Singleton, W’93

Penn was a transformative experience for me.  I really felt empowered by the student and faculty community there to develop and confidently be my own person.  I attended Penn by the virtue of copious financial aid programs.  I left Penn having shouldered about 10% of my four year education via student loans. Today, a student from a working poor, single parent family like mine would graduate from Penn loan free.

Give Back to The Penn Fund on Giving Tuesday

As of today, the Class of 1993 has 153 donors this fiscal year, and so close to reclaiming the #1 spot among reunion classes—the class of 2013 has 155 donors. Let’s pull ahead of them in a big way and make major moves towards our goal!

Give Today!

Some facts about our 25th reunion class gift and participation:

  • Every size gift counts and matters deeply. Your gift shows your gratitude for all Penn has brought to your life, and is your vote of confidence in Penn’s present and future. Give what is personally meaningful to you, and know how grateful we are for it whatever the size!
  • ’93 couples count as two donors in participation!
  • Your gift supports our class reunion fund, which supports our two class projects (an addition to our Class of 1993 Endowed Scholarship and the establishment of the Class of 1993 Endowed Internship at the Netter Center for Community Partnerships) and The Penn Fund (the University’s central annual fund supporting student financial aid and critical undergraduate initiatives); gifts to most individual endowed scholarships are also counted for class gift credit.
  • As a whole Penn has gone from 7th to 3rd place among our Ivy+ peers in alumni participation by percentage. Still, only about 35% of alumni give back, compared to 60% for Princeton. We can and will do better, one gift at a time!
  • Contact our class giving director Rachel Robinson at rachelsw@upenn.edu or 215-898-3645 with any questions. She’d love to hear from you!

Make your gift to The Penn Fund in celebration of our 25th Reunion here:  www.pennfund.upenn.edu/penn93.

#93tothe25th Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Committee #PRLC2017

1993 25th Reunion Committee planning our reunion at Penn in September, 2017

Penn Class of 1993 25th Reunion Countdown

The weekend of November 24 – 25, 2017 marked 24 weeks until the 25th Reunion of the Penn Class of 1993 (May 11 – 14, 2018)!

Join us we count down the weeks to our reunion #93tothe25th:

  • Do you have old photos or mementos from our time at Penn? Photos of Spring Fling? Football at Franklin Field? Classes at DRL? We are taking a trip down memory lane and would love for you to share your memories with our class in a future post. Please email us upenn1993@gmail.com!
  • Join our reunion committee – email Lisa Grabelle at lisagrabelle@yahoo.com.
  • Follow us on Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram.
  • Classmates are invited to join our Facebook and LinkedIn groups.

Important hotel update! Overwhelming response from our great class has sold out the Downtown Marriott Class of 1993 room block for Saturday night. There are alternative hotels. We recommend booking ASAP! Please see our class website for additional details.

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