Kirsten AdamsKirsten Adams ’16 wasn’t looking for a women’s college, but she would pick Bryn Mawr again if given the chance. “Having strong role models like our alumnae, our president and faculty was incredibly powerful,” she says. “I was a bit timid in high school, but Bryn Mawr taught me to not be afraid to take opportunities, even if I wasn’t sure I’d succeed. I’m more resilient.”

Kirsten was raised by her single mom and is the first in her immediate family to earn a college degree. Her intense drive and ambition paired with unparalleled support from her family meant that she knew college was her end goal, but how it would be financed was a concern.
 
Along came Bryn Mawr’s Class of 1958, which funded a scholarship that made it possible for Kirsten to achieve her Bryn Mawr dreams. She was employed at several jobs while here: as a tour guide for Admissions, a Study Abroad Coordinator and a blog writer for the Communications Department; but that scholarship was integral to making it happen.
 
Today, Kirsten is a graduate teaching fellow for third grade students at a KIPP School in Houston. Her ultimate goal: to become an elementary school principal, or maybe even open a school of her own. “One of my greatest passions is working toward social justice through education,” she says. "I have such gratitude from the bottom of my heart for all the alumnae who helped make my dream of becoming the first person in my immediate family to go to college a reality. And without the generosity of our alumnae, and their love for Bryn Mawr, I would not be where I am today."

Only six months out of Bryn Mawr, Kirsten is already giving back herself by making small, but regular donations to the College. “It’s not much,” she says. “But it’s what I can do now and I will increase my gift as I can. I do it because it’s my responsibility to ensure that this education is available to others.”