Leah Brand ’20

Now located: Nyack, New York

Do you think Smithies in this pandemic have differed in some way from students at other colleges? If so, why?
I think what I’ve learned in my time at Smith is that community is everything, and it is so resilient and I think this prepared us to handle this apocalyptic moment that we’re living in. We know we can count on each other to have our backs, and you could see this as the decision to move to remote learning was announced. Smithies were immediately advocating for themselves and others in the community to continue to be able to have a safe place to live and learn and this never stops, pandemic or not. I think there is an understanding that what affects others among us also affects us and so I have just seen an unmatched level of compassion and caring that I have not seen in other places before. 

“I have seen an unmatched level of compassion and caring that I have not seen in other places before.”

If you could go back in time, to February for example, and tell yourself what to expect, what would you say?
Take it all in! These are the moments you're going to remember forever.

What’s one thing you wish alumnae knew about the class of 2020?
We are so resilient and care so much about each other, and you. That’s why we want to fight so hard to be part of the traditions (not virtually) that you have all enjoyed as you graduated from Smith; this sense of community is what we want to be a part of and it’s part of the reason a lot of us came to Smith.  We want you to have our backs now, so that we can continue to have each others’ going forward.

Smithie Snapshots is a new profile series highlighting members of the Smith community, located all over the world.