Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Filling the Vessel: HWS Celebrates 10 Years of the Centennial Center

The Centennial Center, home to the Colleges' flagship programs in leadership, entrepreneurship and innovation, celebrated 10 years of success and growth during the gathering of the Board of Trustees in the fall of 2018. Trustee Cynthia Gelsthorpe Fish '82 was presented with the Centennial Bowl at the anniversary dinner in October.

Fish, who has served as a Trustee since 2006 and is the vice chair of the Board, contributed the lead gift that established the Centennial Center in 2008. Julie Bazan '93 and Trustee Jane Erickson '07, president and immediate past president of the William Smith Alumnae Association, presented the award.

A philanthropist and volunteer with a lifelong commitment to the care of others, Fish targets her efforts and support on higher education and the environment and on research on the treatment and care of patients and families challenged by Alzheimer's disease.

In speaking about the Centennial Center's success, she said, "We started with a shell, like an empty bowl, and no vessel is worth much until you fill it - and look how it was filled." Centennial Center Director Amy Forbes highlighted the "culture of innovative programming" and instrumental leaders in the Center's founding. She specifically thanked Susan Pliner, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning and Associate Dean for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. As founding director of the Centennial Center, Pliner established many of the programs that distinguish the Center today. Forbes also thanked Mara O'Laughlin '66, L.H.D. '13, who headed the team that raised the funds for the Center.

The Centennial Center offers experiences and resources for young leaders to develop global awareness, community focus and the skills to transform conviction into change, including programs such as The Pitch, Leadership Institute and Hackathon.

At the celebration, three HWS graduates spoke about the transformative experiences, skills and values the Centennial Center imparts.

Almamy Conde '18 (sales and marketing associate at the Bozzuto Group in NYC): A finalist in the 2016 Pitch contest, Conde said the process "gave me confidence, enhanced my work ethic and made me understand the importance of focusing on the things I needed to do."

Sara Wroblewski '13 (founder and CEO of One Bead in Boston, Mass.): Winner of the inaugural Pitch contest in 2012, Wroblewski called the Center "the birthplace of my identity as a female nonprofit executive."

Daniel Budmen '15 (assistant winemaker and vineyard manager at Bellangelo Winery in Geneva, N.Y.): Budmen noted the Center "and its multitude of experiences and programs pushed me to be a better student, community member and global citizen."