Women’s Leadership Circle gathers steam

In 2020, 50 years after the first women began attending Exeter, the Women’s Leadership Circle (WLC) was created. Since then, the WLC has grown in both size and impact, dedicated to supporting, connecting and uplifting female-identifying Exonians.

This fall, members of the WLC and women from the Exeter Alumni Association (EAA) gathered in the Davis Hall’s Mary Rawson Reading Room for one of the WLC’s annual signature events: a luncheon with upper female-identifying students.

The September event provided an opportunity for alumnae to connect, share stories and offer advice to current uppers — a reflection of the WLC’s purpose. “The WLC is really special because there are different generations of Exeter women whose experiences differ from one another, but also stay the same in the fabric of what the school is all about,” said Meredith LaPierre, the WLC director. “It’s interesting to see generations of alumni from the early ’70s connecting with current students today and seeing them share similar paths and interests.”

Around 35 students attended the luncheon, and small groups naturally formed between students and alumnae. “I really liked that the event was smaller,” said Arisa Yoshino ’28. “I felt like I could actually get to know the alumnae on a deeper level.”

Many conversations centered around what it means to be a woman and the experiences that come with it. Yoshino reflected by referencing her current history course, HIS502: Global Topics in Women, Gender, Sexuality and Society. “It is one thing to learn about patriarchy and misogyny and how that impacts institutions and women’s experiences from textbooks, but it’s another thing to hear it from the women themselves who experienced it.”

Not only did the luncheon provide a space for stories from alumnae, but also from the students themselves. Students spoke about their own struggles as women in leadership, and some even became emotional. Faye Yang ’28 shared, “I have never had the opportunity to really express my opinions on the gender barriers that I’ve faced, and being in a space where everyone was understanding and had experienced similar struggles was really special.”

As conversations progressed, students and alumnae also uncovered and bonded over similarities between each other. Lydia Kuhnert ’28, a staff writer for The Exonian, was excited when she got to speak to a former editor of The Exonian’s Life section. “It was hilarious to hear about and imagine how around 20 years ago, Writers’ Meetings were held where the Amen Study is now. It was great to learn more from alumnae about what journalism looks like past high school and into the industry.”

“There is something beautiful about being young,” said Seisei Tatebe-Goddu ‘01, a member of WLC, and EAA Vice President and an Exeter Trustee. “There is a reason that some of history’s most incredible moments are from people under 20. It’s because, in a sense, their superpower is that they didn’t know any better and just took the risk. When you don’t know what the limits are, you sometimes surpass what anyone thought was possible.”

In just the past six years, the WLC has grown to 94 members and has empowered female-identifying Exonians across generations. Moving forward, the WLC hopes to continue its mission and dedication to growth.

“Hopefully the program, in the long-term trajectory, can continue to grow and build around what is inspiring women and girls as the school moves forward,” LaPierre said. “I’m always open to new ideas.”