‘Bet Big on Yourselves, Smithies’

Events

Smith College Medalists share inspiring words with the class of 2026 at annual Rally Day celebration

BY CHERYL DELLECESE

Published March 2, 2026

Plenty of Smith pride was on display at this year’s Rally Day ceremony, held in John M. Greene Hall on Feb. 26, as the Smith College community—trustees, faculty, staff, students, alums, and graduating seniors—honored the 2026 Smith Medalists. “Today, we celebrate the powerful outcomes of a Smith education,” President Sarah Willie-LeBreton told the crowd. “Together, we honor our mission of preparing students for lives of distinction and purpose.” The Smith Medalists represented a wide range of professional expertise, from medicine to the arts. Each medalist had some sage advice about life after Smith for students and graduating seniors. Following are excerpts from their remarks.

Wendy Brown Dean ’87

Physician and co-founder/CEO of Moral Injury of Healthcare

“I left Smith on the journey I expected—to medical school, residency, and then practice. But a decade in, medicine’s politicking and profiteering derailed my career…. Billion-dollar healthcare conglomerates were harming both patients and practitioners and someone had to speak up. Moral injury stems from a betrayal of the values Smith reinforced. My work has changed the approach to clinician distress in the US and abroad. It is changing how we think about the business of medicine, how we care for health workers, and who is accountable. Writing a book, hosting podcasts with the best teams, establishing a nonprofit, and speaking dozens of times a year—all things that would have terrified past-me—drove the change. But the satisfaction of seeing momentum build has been worth conquering those fears. Still, the most gratification comes from almost weekly notes from clinicians who tell me that moral injury gave them the language they needed to reclaim their oaths and take back their purpose. For all of that, I owe a tremendous debt to Sophia Smith’s leap of faith, when she invested her family’s fortune in the promise of generations of women she would never meet. On the promise of you—of us. I am a testament that you can do things you never imagined possible, because Smith has given you a phenomenal foundation. As Gloria Steinem ’56 said, ‘Don’t worry about what you should do, worry about what you can do.’ Bet big on yourselves, sister Smithies. This world needs you—all of you—right now.”

Lori L. Tharps ’94

Journalist, author, and podcast host

“When I arrived at Smith …. I knew I was going to be a writer, so I was going to major in English …. and graduate with a draft of my first novel already written. But during my first year at Smith, I took my first creative writing class with a professor who was also a well-known writer. And while I was waiting for her to pull me aside in class to tell me that I was brimming with raw talent, what I got was a C for a final grade—a C! I was devastated. And not only that, I decided if I got a C in my creative writing class, I must not have the requisite talent to be a writer. So, I gave up. After a brief mourning period, and some ‘whatever-will-I-do-with-my-life?’ moments of crisis, I decided to pursue one of my other loves, which was children. I declared my major in education and set out to be the best educator the world had ever seen. Cut to junior year. I spent a year in Spain, where I took classes in education, and fully intended to come back to Smith ready to do my practice teaching and find a job as a teacher. But it was in Spain, thanks to all those unstructured hours of siesta, where I reconnected with my dream to be a writer. It was still there, hiding under my rah-rah ‘I’m-going-to-be-a-teacher’ enthusiasm. When I came back to Smith for my senior year, it was too late to change my major, but it wasn’t too late to chase my dream. I found a small local paper to intern at in Northampton and the rest is history …. There was no road map for what I wanted to do. But I figured it out …. I hope you recognize that one little failure doesn’t define you. The most important things you take away from Smith won’t necessarily be the things you learned in the classroom. And, most importantly, pay attention to the details and don’t be overly dramatic …. Turns out I didn’t get a C in that class. I got a B. I threw my entire dream down the toilet because I got a B. The only good thing I can say about that now is that it makes a good story.”

Theanne Griffith ’08

Neuroscientist and children’s author

“When I first came to Smith, I couldn’t fully comprehend the lifelong impact this community would have on me. I knew I was stepping into something special. But I didn’t understand yet how deeply it would shape my identity, my confidence, and my sense of possibility. Also, I don't think I fully appreciate it, and perhaps I even took for granted the caliber of the education I was receiving, and the excellence of the peers surrounding me. Now, don’t get me wrong. I knew we were awesome. But now perhaps nearly 18 years after graduating, each passing year makes me more thankful that I chose Smith and that Smith chose me. Receiving the Smith Medal carries deep meaning for me. It’s an incredible recognition of decades of work. When you’re in the trenches of reaching for your dreams, there are these wonderful moments of confidence and excitement. But there are also many moments of doubt. Moments when you may wonder, ‘Am I doing the right thing?’ ‘Will this effort amount to anything?’ ‘Am I capable?’ Life is short, and it’s easy to fear that you’re wasting time, or, worse, that you’re simply not good enough to reach your goals. Even Darwin, the father of evolution, with all his success, once wrote: ‘I am very poorly today and very stupid, and hate everybody and everything.’ And you know what, Darwin? Same—cause sometimes I feel that way, too. But it is precisely those moments, because of the doubt that is so much part of the journey, that this recognition means so much to me …. I would like to end my remarks with some words specifically for my graduating seniors …. Lean into the education and resources you have received here. You have so many tools at your disposal, more than most, and as Smithies, you are exceptionally equipped to use them for good.”

Elim Chan ’09

Conductor

“In my first year at Smith in fall 2005, I did not enroll in any music classes as I thought music was merely a passion and a crazy dream, but joining the chorus, walking through Sage Hall, changed that course, and my time here at Smith opened up the world and myself to me. It was here at JMG Hall when I had my ‘lightning bolt moment’—when I realized the stage is where I need to be, that it is where I belong. My education here encouraged me to gain a wider view. It taught me never to just settle for anything but to always keep pushing and striving to be better. It enabled me to see all perspectives, which is vital in my work as a conductor, as I have to be able to see all elements of the music, soloists, and the orchestra itself at any given point. Smith gave me an invaluable education in teaching me to trust myself, follow and nurture that spark within me, to be endlessly curious and not to be afraid of always digging deeper to gain a better understanding. These important elements have become ingrained in my approach to music and to life overall. In a time where some hard-won advances for women are being rolled back around the world, it’s vitally important for us to keep on doing what we do and to never give up. We need to work together to facilitate and enable the education of other young women and girls, to build a supportive community, to pass on knowledge with generosity and grace, to help other women on their own individual journeys and never to be tempted to pull the ladder up behind us …. My advice to you all would be to never give up, don’t stand in your own way, do what you do best and then do it even better, to remain curious and open-minded at all times, and always to be mindful to support other women and to create community.”