Dear Pomona College Community,
The recent passing of Susan Sontag ’64 is heartbreaking news, and cause for reflection on the inspiring lives of service and commitment so many Sagehens lead.
Susan suffered a stroke in 1994, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer and told at the time she could expect only three more years to live. She survived the brain cancer but faced declining health from the aftereffects of the disease and its treatment up until her recent death. Her struggle inspired the Sontags to establish The Sontag Foundation to sponsor brain cancer research and also found The Brain Tumor Network to help patients affected by the disease.
Thousands have benefitted from their support. Due to their work, the Sontags were awarded honorary degrees from Pomona in 2017. The impact of the Sontags’ wider devotion to philanthropy also is seen every day here on the campus where they had started dating decades ago. We see it through residence halls they funded at Pomona and Harvey Mudd, their support for undergraduate research and through the Rick and Susan Sontag Center for Collaborative Creativity, also known as The Hive.
I offer my deepest condolences to Rick and the entire family. Their commitment to a greater cause serves as a reminder of our community’s enduring mission.
The work of Sagehens around the globe, on causes ranging from environmental sustainability to refugee rights to public health, serves as a constant reminder of my own responsibilities. Pomona holds a unique role in promoting opportunity in American higher education, and we cannot rest in our efforts.
As our nation faces many divisions, we have an obligation to open the doors of opportunity wider.
Pomona has made significant progress in recent decades in enrolling students from lower-income backgrounds, and we will continue our work in this important area. Roughly one third of the nation’s population is middle class, however, and at Pomona, this group comprises only 15 percent of students. If Pomona is to bring together a student community that reflects our nation, we also must enroll more middle-income students.
In the years ahead, we will bring to Pomona more students from families at the middle of the income spectrum, with stronger outreach and increased financial aid. We also are building partnerships with community colleges to promote transfer to Pomona. Community colleges were hit particularly hard during the pandemic, and we need to lead the way in reopening the doors of opportunity.
I am grateful to be part of a compassionate community that spans the globe and reaches across generations. I will share more in the weeks ahead on other key steps forward in our Strategic Vision, as we aim to expand our positive impact beyond Pomona’s campus.
With best wishes,
Gabi