Linh Dinh ’26

I came to the States alone my sophomore year of high school, moving from Vietnam to a boarding school where everything felt unfamiliar. In my first week, I found myself in choir, seated in the alto section next to Loey – a senior who met my uncertainty with patience and grace. She kept me to my part, encouraged me when I doubted myself, and gently showed me how things worked – music, school, belonging. That spring, Loey announced she was going to Wellesley. It was the first time I had heard the name, and it stayed with me because of her.

People talk about how ‘The Wellesley Effect’ lasts long after our time here; I, however, believe that it begins way before the first day. I felt it with every note Loey and I sang together, and will forever hold onto it, especially now as I join her in our Alumnae Association.