From internships at the United Nations Development program in Costa Rica to environmental preservation projects in the Yucatán Peninsula, the 25th annual Tanner Conference showcased the breadth of opportunities students undertake and highlighted Wellesley’s commitment to enriching, fulfilling experiences outside of the classroom. More than 250 students gathered in the Science Complex on October 28 to celebrate their experiential learning experiences by presenting at the conference. This milestone year, which coincides with the implementation of the College’s new experiential learning requirement, highlights students’ past, present, and future work in experiential learning and Wellesley’s commitment to strengthening the connection between extracurricular experiences and a liberal arts education.
Over 25 years ago, Estelle “Nicki” Newman Tanner ’57 conceived of a conference that sought to communicate ideas around the goal “of a transformative education that takes place in a vibrant and inclusive intellectual community,” recalled Lee Cuba, professor emeritus of sociology. The first conference was held October 24, 2001, and in light of the September 11 attacks, then-Wellesley President Diana Chapman Walsh ’66 emphasized the importance of liberal arts education in the world: “The Tanner Conference offers an opportunity to question assumptions, reason well together, explore our differences, and find in our shared aspirations the wisdom and the courage to form a common future.”
Beth Robichaud, assistant director of academic conferences at Wellesley and principal manager of the Tanner Conference, says she encourages presenters, many of whom are speaking in an academic conference setting for the first time, to “have a good time.” “We understand that it’s a student-to-student exchange of experiences, and they should enjoy the day.” Robichaud says. Many presenters invite their friends to attend, which strengthens the sense of community Tanner fosters.
Tanner allowed me to learn about paths I had never even heard of and to be inspired by the passionate work of others.
At this year’s Tanner, Melissa Retana ’26, a political science and environmental studies double major and a first-generation college student, gave a presentation about her experience as a coastal tourism analyst intern at the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), an organization dedicated to the conservation of the environment and endangered species. “Interning at the WWF was my first time in an office space, and I got to work with a lot of people who come from different educational backgrounds,” she says. For Retana, collaborating with a “wide range of people in one office” made her realize how important each individual’s work is in moving forward the team’s conservation efforts. Her research on the environmental impacts of hotel and tourist chains in the Yucatán Peninsula cemented her interest in pursuing a career in conservation efforts. Retana encourages students to apply for experiential learning opportunities outside of their comfort zones. “I know some people struggle with imposter syndrome, students especially, but it’s important to have faith in the work that you’ve done and put yourself out there,” she says.
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During Tanner, students present on a variety of opportunities they’ve had as Wellesley students. This year’s conference included projects ranging from working on a United Nations Development program in Costa Rica to environmental preservation projects in the Yucatán Peninsula. Classes are canceled for the day so students, faculty ,and staff can attend presentations. Photos by Diana T. ’28
Presenter Avery Finley ’28, a Spanish and English double major, spent the summer volunteering for the Florence Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project in Phoenix, aiding in the vital translation of documents from Spanish to English to help people threatened by deportation ensure their documents accurately reflect their legal situations. Tanner gave her an opportunity to share her own experience with legal translation and to attend other students’ panels, where she learned about migration aid work and estate law. “Tanner allowed me to learn about paths I had never even heard of and to be inspired by the passionate work of others,” Finley says. “The exchange of ideas … inspired me to continue my career development and seek opportunities that make me excited to learn.”
To commemorate the 25th anniversary of Tanner, Celena Wang ’28, Kexuan (Coco) Zhang ’28, and Colleen Heaslip ’28 (the author of this story) collaborated to make a celebratory booklet as part of their archival and editorial SHIP internships. This summer, they reviewed Tanner program archives and spoke with alumnae about their presentations. To wrap up this work, they had a private Zoom meeting with Nicki Tanner herself during which they shared what they had learned about the history of the conference. Zhang says it was “amazing” to speak directly with Tanner. “[V]ideoconferencing with her as a Tanner SHIP intern brought me even closer to her insights,” she says. During the Zoom meeting, Tanner said that she’s not surprised by the “brilliance” of the Wellesley students she has seen present over the years. “That really set the tone for the rest of my day, and it felt amazing to be part of the celebration of student achievements,” Zhang says.
Wang says participating in the conference gave her clarity about her future career plans. Hearing about other students’ “experiences, mistakes, and lessons” reminded her that “it’s OK to try different things, even when it fails,” she says. While going through the booklet archives, Wang learned that some alumnae discovered their passions through their work, while others faced challenges or realized an opportunity wasn’t the right fit. “What I took away from that is that even when things don’t go as planned, what truly matters is what we learn from the experience,” Wang says. “In that sense, Tanner becomes a space where we can be inspired, or even uninspired, in ways that help us better understand ourselves and our paths forward.”
“Some of my best and most formative experiences at Wellesley weren’t taught in the classroom, they were formed in the outside world,” says Emily Weddle Anzola ’14, who, 12 years later, still thinks of her 2013 Tanner presentation, “La Dolce Vita: Peggy Guggenheim and Her Legacy,” about her experiences interning at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, Italy. “You will expand your horizons, and learn more about yourself than you thought possible.”