Columbia College Women Have Impact

By Sherri Pancer Wolf ’90
When I was a first-year in 1986, women’s presence at the College was still a recent development; the first fully coeducational class had enrolled just three years before. Since then, I’ve been continually impressed by women’s profound impact on the school. The Alumnae Legacy Circle, created in 2017 to enhance female-driven philanthropy at Columbia, epitomizes this influence. With its membership now at 153, the ALC this past year raised $5.9 million, with $2.1 million directly supporting the College.


A similar impact can be seen through Columbia College Women. Two key themes underpin its efforts: connections and continuity. CCW connects alumnae to the school and to each other through programming, mentoring and networking. Its partnership with the Odyssey Mentoring Program’s Lunch & Learn series brings students together with alumnae who work for prominent brands like Disney and the WNBA. Its annual Signature Event draws hundreds of attendees each year to hear alumnae such as New York Times journalist Jodi Kantor ’96, former CNN anchor Poppy Harlow ’05 and Olympian Katie Meili ’13.

This year, CCW will be led by Nancy Pak ’90, BUS’95, an accomplished CEO and global business leader. We asked Nancy, along with other CCW leaders, to tell us about their roles, what’s been meaningful about their participation in CCW and what has them excited for this year.


NANCY PAK ’90, BUS’95

I am honored to be the newest CCW president. My formative years were shaped by the lasting friendships I made at the College, and being part of CCW has enabled me to reconnect with and expand my alumnae network. I am excited to continue the group’s positive work in mentoring, programming, and outreach and development; serving our alumnae and community; and giving back to alma mater, as it’s the place where I discovered my identity as a student, person and leader.


I look forward to working with CCW’s Executive Board to expand our impact by partnering with Columbia’s other alumnae organizations and engaging alumnae across the United States and beyond. Mentorship is a deep passion of mine; I’ve had many inspiring female mentors and I hope to champion this part of CCW’s work, as well as to be a role model for graduates across generations.

The most rewarding part of participating in CCW has been connecting with alumnae through impactful programs such as our annual Signature Event. In recent years, it has featured inspiring female entrepreneurs and women who work in sports and related fields, driving connectivity and offering valuable life lessons.

KENYATTA MONROE- SINKLER ’91

When I think of CCW, I think of women who are brilliant, impactful and engaged. Serving as co-chair of the Outreach Committee has given me reason and opportunity to meet alumnae from many walks of life: producers, educators, CEOs, writers, entrepreneurs, activists and more. As women, our history as College alumnae spans less than 50 years, yet we’ve made our mark on all facets of the Columbia community.


As a Californian, I have most treasured getting to meet College women who live and work in the San Francisco Bay Area. Earlier this year, when a small group of us gathered at the Oakland Museum of California, the conversation was rich and nourishing. I look forward to creating events that meet our graduates where they are. Again and again I hear that people are craving community, and in that spirit, this year, alumnae can look forward to events in Northern California that will give them an opportunity to celebrate who we are.

LAUREN DWYER ’11, BUS’16

I am a board member and serve on the Mentoring Committee. I’m excited that we are taking a holistic approach with the committee this year, to serve students and alumnae alike. Mentoring is helpful at every stage in one’s career and life, so we want to ensure we are providing access to College women of all ages.


For me, it’s been a rewarding part of the CCW experience to see the integration with and celebration of women’s sports, both at Columbia and beyond. Sports are a microcosm of society, so learning from the growth and progress of women’s sports can unlock ideas in other industries, and celebrating women’s success in sports shows us what equity can look like in other arenas. We have made many strides, so things are better than they were five, 20, 50 years ago, but we still have significant work to do to reach equity. As we celebrate that progress, we must also generate energy to power the next big vision.