Dear President Bettison-Varga,
I write to you today to offer the thoughts and prayers of the entire Simmons College community as you support your courageous alumna, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Like others across the country and the world, we at Simmons also are profoundly saddened by the horrible tragedy that occurred in Tucson January 8. No matter what the intent of this senseless act, I am heartened by the efforts that the Scripps community has shown to support the Congresswoman and her family through your “Letters for Gabby” campaign, your campus-wide food drive, and the Candlelight Circle of Hope you have planned for this evening.
Please know that you have the support of the entire Simmons community, including thousands of our alumnae/i. We too are planning a “Letters of Hope” event for Congresswoman Giffords tomorrow, along with a day of community service dedicated to her later this spring.
Scripps and Simmons share more than just the common bond of being women’s colleges. We also share similar values: commitment to community, transformative learning, and diversity. We see in Congresswoman Giffords our shared values in action, and the capacity to generously use resources for the advancement of humankind. These are the values that define Congresswoman Giffords, and what we hope will define future generations of women’s college graduates.
Respectfully yours,
Helen Drinan
President, Simmons College