Alumni Perspectives: Shay Totten '91

Hello! 

I thought I’d introduce myself to my fellow alums now that I’ve been in this role for a whole month! 

And what a month it’s been. 

You can read more about me here, so I won’t bore you with my bio.

My first month as Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement has flown by much like my first month as a student in 1986. While the faces have changed and new buildings exist, the view from Commons to the End of the World (and vice versa) endures, as does the creative pulse throughout our campus. 

As a student, an alum, the spouse of an alum (she graduated ’90), and briefly as the parent of a Bennington student, I’ve seen four presidents—all who will leave, or have left, different legacies. What is more clear to me now is that what has endured is...us: the students and the alumni. 

We all have our “Bennington story”—regardless of when we attended. Lately, I’ve been talking with alumni about how we learned about Bennington and who guided our path to apply and attend. From there, the talk often quickly transitions to what we studied, what we did during our Field Work Terms (aka Non-Resident Terms), and what classes we took outside of our “area of study.” Personally, I always love these later discussions, along with how we’ve used our Bennington education out in the “real world.”

I want to hear those stories. I want to tell those stories. I want to help get us together around the country, so we can share those stories with each other in person.

Here’s a few highlights from my first month:

• The College hosted a gathering of local alumni, and it was great to see some friendly faces in attendance (and meet new-to-me alumni).
• I had the chance to meet members of the Board of Trustees, several of whom are keenly interested in re-establishing an alumni association.
• I have enjoyed meeting other staff alumni! There are about thirty of us, which is pretty cool.
• The College welcomed Michael Pollan ’76 to campus, along with his wife Judith Belzer ’78, for a daylong visit with students, families, faculty, and staff, which culminated in a packed Q&A in Tishman Lecture Hall. (A recording will be shared with alumni soon.)
• I have also loved having lunch on the platform next to the pond, eating in Commons, and walking the creaky floors of the Barn.

So, what’s next? Aside from the sentimentality of being back on campus, there’s a lot of work to do, and I’ve heard from a number of you already—thank you! 

We’re planning to host regional alumni gatherings through the end of this year and all through next year with what I hope to be a big all-class reunion next fall. 

I’m also working to create opportunities for alumni to get connected with current students or at least showcase some of the amazingly creative student work happening. The more I talk with staff and students, the more I hear that alumni are wanted, not just to donate money to Bennington, but to give their time, their mentorship, and their ideas. 

I know that I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me, but my years at Bennington—including those as a Booth House Chair—have prepared me well for this next challenge.

Plus, I have all of you to lean on for advice, inspiration, and insight.

Onward,

Shay Totten '91 
Director of Alumni and Constituent Engagement