Aayushma Rai ’29 became curious about Wellesley College when she was just 13. She was a big Grey’s Anatomy fan and says Dr. Miranda Bailey was her favorite character because she was “all about female empowerment.” In one episode, viewers learn Dr. Bailey attended Wellesley. “So that’s where I first became familiar with what Wellesley was, what Wellesley is,” Rai says.
When she started her college search, she spoke with a Wellesley admission counselor at a college fair—“I hogged her booth for 10 minutes”—and asked how attending a women’s college would benefit her. The answer inspired her. The counselor, Rai recalls, said this would be the only four years in her life where Rai and her classmates would be in a women-only space, “where you can experience this environment and build, nurture, foster, this confidence that you can take anywhere in the world.”
Rai joins the 577 other members of the class of 2029 who moved into their residence halls on August 28 and will begin their first semester of classes at Wellesley on September 2. The students come from 41 states plus the District of Columbia, as well as 24 nations of citizenship. Nineteen percent of the class are first-generation college students.
As the class gets into the routines of college, they’ll learn more about their classmates and their unique backgrounds and interests. Among them are a Junior Olympic Team competitor in rhythmic gymnastics and a Team USA figure skater. One founded BAM! BAGELS! during the pandemic. One is deeply committed to coral restoration in the Caribbean island of Bonaire and the Honduran island of Roatán. Another, one of 15 students selected in the nation to conduct astrophysics research at NASA, presented to a 4,000-person crowd at the American Astronomical Society. A student who created a literacy project (a series of videos) and has traveled the globe speaking to kids about using technology for good won the Diana Award. Given in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the award recognizes young people from around the world for creating positive social change.
Rai is involved with the riseHER Project, which aims to keep Nepali girls in school and empower them to pursue higher education and careers. Through its pen-pal project, she communicated with one Nepali girl who moved from the village into the city to pursue her education. Rai is quick to say she can’t take credit for the girl’s decision to move, but feels that their connection may have had “a little bit of an impact on what she wants to do in her life” by showing her that when you have support you can do anything you put your mind to.
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Families help their students unpack. Photo by Kelly Davidson -
Sylvie Pike ’29 says goodbye to her mom before they go separate ways. Photo by Shannon O'Brien
Amarachukwu Okigbo ’29 brings with her the experience of trying to help the unhoused community in Ojai, Calif., where she was selected to join the Ojai Youth Council. She was surprised that the lack of support for creating safe encampments for the unhoused cut across all demographics. “Their opinions taught me how to navigate the contrasting emotions of citizens,” Okigbo wrote in her admission essay. “It wasn’t easy, but it shaped me. It showed me how to stand firm in my beliefs while listening and remaining open.”
Okigbo says her passion for social change extends beyond her hometown. “I founded Girls Across Borders (GAB), a youth-led global organization committed to connecting girls across borders to foster positive change and social impact,” she says. “GAB was built on the belief that unified voices can dismantle systemic barriers, and it provides a platform for young women to engage in meaningful conversations, advocacy, and leadership development.”
Okigbo hopes to continue work with GAB at Wellesley and she’s happy to be continuing her education at a small school (she was one of approximately 65 graduates in her high school class). “I want a school that’s really small, really close-knit, where I have connections with my teachers and with everyone,” she says. “I can walk around and know everyone’s names. I don’t want to be just like a fly roaming through campus. I want to be a person that’s seen.
Francesca Primoli ’29 says Wellesley is giving her the opportunity to explore unchartered territory. She describes her experience growing up as “close-bubbled.” As part of a class called Christian Service Learning at her high school, she had the opportunity to volunteer at a school with a diverse student population and enjoyed it. “While most my age consider fitting in a victory, I crave the differences, the pointy edges, the unpopular but well-supported opinion or viewpoint,” she wrote about the experience. “I am comfortable being uncomfortable.”
“With Wellesley, I feel like there’s a certain interest in the different, the new,” Primoli says. “People who go there already don't really shy away from [the different]. I really wanted to be in a place where that was the norm.”