Celebrating MIT spouses&partners 40th anniversary this past year has put me in a very reflective mood. It is also my 15th year with MIT spouses&partners, so I’ve been thinking a lot about the people I’ve met and the events and experiences I’ve had with this amazing group.
Some of those include our first time participating in the International Fair (it was so cold that morning), changing our name from the MIT Wives Group to spouses&partners@mit, working with a great group of volunteers on creating the “Frequently Asked Questions” section of website and a few years later, redesigning our whole website.
I also have fond memories of sitting around the conference room table, folding the monthly newsletter and stuffing envelopes, while chatting with everyone. And who can forget the Wednesday meeting in that windowless room in the Student Center? I’ll never forget my first day there, as well as roasting a turkey at Jessica Barton’s house so we could share Thanksgiving with all of you.
Many things have changed (now we meet in the beautiful Eastgate Penthouse), but my love for this group remains, and after 40 years we are still dedicated to our mission to support the families of MIT students, staff, postdocs, visitors and faculty. We remain committed to supporting spouses and partners who are making a cultural/language transition, to parents and to those who want to find work or develop their career while in Boston. And above all, we strive to help our members make connections with each other, both personally and professionally.
This semester we are excited about the continuation of Career Connect, a training series for spouses exploring new work and life possibilities while at MIT. The sessions include resumes and cover letters, networking, interviewing and job search norms in the U.S. We had a great series last semester and we’re excited to present it again this spring.
It is always good to reconnect with you, please keep in touch! My hope for the future is that we can build a strong alumni network so no matter where you go in the world, you can easily connect with other MIT spouses and partners. So join us on Linkedin and Facebook. If you’re in the Boston area, join us on MITFamilyNet, our online community.
Best regards,
Jennifer
“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”