After lots of twists and turns in my first post-Hunter decade, I have had a semi-coherent private life in Boston and a surprisingly linear career in maternal and child health.  Along the way, I had two marriages – one early and short, the other lasting more than two decades and never quite ending. My ex-husband, a lawyer, and I are partners, but don’t live together (to our shared relief).  My two sons (one per marriage) are grown. In fact, I wonder if the elder, who will be 45 this year, is not the oldest child our class produced.  He lives with his wonderful wife and three children outside Boston.  My younger son, in whom the New York gene is expressed, is completing a sociology doctorate at NYU, although he spends a lot of time in Paris trying to get the French to stop changing their social policies long enough for him to finish.

My work has always been rewarding, although it is painful now to watch the national assault on everything we know is good for mothers and children. I manage Boston public health programs covering a wide range of issues, but am particularly involved in work on reproductive health, early childhood mental health and prevention of violence and trauma.  In Boston and nationally I’m involved in efforts to address the impact of racism (and social marginalization in general) on health.

Some reminiscences about Hunter:

An 11th (or was it 12th) grade discussion about what a great movie A Portrait of a Lady would make – all those gorgeous English lawns and Italian castles.  We talked about who would play what part, but couldn’t cast the lead because each of us saw herself as Isabel Archer.  

Miss Willie’s geometry class. She was so artful, I wanted to applaud when she finished presenting the proof of the Pythagorean Theorem.  I think everyone in the class (which was for not-headed to-AP-math students) aced the geometry Regents exam.  A tribute to her rather than us.

I have been taking French classes and am annoyed at how much harder it is to get ear, brain and tongue to collaborate than it was at age 12. The happy surprise is the ease with which I master verb tenses. It is due, of course, to the once-hated verb book.  Early programming affected the structure of my brain – I will die with the two-sided, rectangular configuration of avoir planted in my synapses. Merci, Mme. Ghnassia.

The theater department and the Performing Group in Dramatics. I’d wanted to be an actress from age 9 and Hunter took both theater and its student actresses seriously. What a gift.

Then finally, an observation since leaving Hunter and connecting to other alumnae in writing: we seem to make use of parentheses more than other people.  I think we do it because Hunter valued and encouraged precision.

I am so sorry I will miss this important anniversary.  I had travel plans that couldn’t be changed when the date of the reunion was announced, but I will miss hearing what you all are thinking and doing at this stage in life. Do be in touch, though: debbyallen@comcast.net; 617-390-3735.