Welcome Class of 2018, and All New Wellesley Students

August 25, 2014
new student greeted by McAfee student leaders
The 595 members of the newest purple class come from 44 states plus the District of Columbia, and from 29 different nations of citizenship. Twelve percent of these students are the first in their families to attend college. Forty-three percent of the students are African American, Latina, or Asian, with eight percent identifying themselves as biracial or multiracial. Eleven percent of the class has international citizenship.
 
But we are more than our demographic data! Members of Wellesley's Class of 2018 include:

- A professional film actress who has appeared in several independent films

- A certified tax assistant who helps low-income families file their taxes

- A student researcher at a food science sensory lab

- A Lincoln-Douglas-debate-style state champion who also trains fox-hunting ponies and works at a hot dog stand

- A junior firefighter

- The founder of a chain of frozen yogurt shops

- A National Cheerleaders Association All-American

- A translator for Project Gutenberg who translates foreign books with open copyrights into Chinese

- A tour guide at a Himalayan art museum in New York City

- Co-concertmaster of a regional Youth Symphony

- An apprentice baker

- A coach of a soccer team for mentally challenged adults

- A National Championship-winning synchronized skater

- A Model U.N. participant

- An activist with SPARK, a movement to demand an end to the sexualization of women and girls in media

- A member of the National History Day Team, and of her town's historical society board of trustees

- A canvass campaign leader in the last presidential election

- A singer and service award winner in a selective women's choral ensemble

And that is just a sampling. These impressive women begin a week of getting to know each other and Wellesley on August 25, after a morning of moving into their residence halls. They'll dive into new challenges next week as the academic year officially begins.