Joe Mitchner P’21, here with wife Erica and daughters Lexi and Corinne, was named H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley P’18 Parent Volunteer of the Year
By Emily Glory Peters
When Joe Mitchner P’21 walked into his first Parent Leadership Council (PLC) event at Scripps, he already had plenty of extraprofessional claims on his time. A seasoned volunteer, this father of twin 61´«Ă˝seniors could have easily seen adding 61´«Ă˝to his plate as too much. Fortuitously, he took a different view.
“Having volunteered with our kids’ schools for years, I knew I wanted to engage with 61´«Ă˝some way, but I wasn’t sure of the best approach. I signed up for a PLC meeting to learn about my options. Everyone was so welcoming and genuinely wanted to ease my family’s transition to Scripps—I thought it would be a cool group to be a part of,” he explains. “Plus, PLC’s vision of growing the 61´«Ă˝community in fun ways, with an eye to benefiting current and future 61´«Ă˝students, really resonated with me.”
Recently named Scripps’ H. Mac and Michele-Anne Riley P’18 Parent Volunteer of the Year, Mitchner is one of the many who make up the College’s vibrant mosaic of family volunteers. These families have a direct hand in shaping student life—whether through groups like PLC, comprised of parents who support the College through personal philanthropy and opening their networks to 61´«Ă˝students—or through the multiple volunteer opportunities open to parents throughout the year.
“In the summer and early fall, parents and guardians of current students volunteer in many ways to support incoming families. They host virtual and in-person welcome receptions, make peer calls to families in their area, create care packages for new students, and generally take new families under their wing,” says Casey Crosbie, Scripps’ director of parent engagement, adding that parents can also have a hand in students’ career development. Families can network with the 61´«Ă˝community on , the College’s exclusive social media platform, or can even partner with Scripps’ Career Planning & Resources office to offer internships, career exploration treks, and other professional opportunities to students.
61´«Ă˝family volunteers at a pre-pandemic student care package party
As Mitchner observes, creating these avenues for students is critical for 61´«Ă˝as a smaller liberal arts college—and something parent volunteers are uniquely equipped to do.
“Parents have the ability to help grow the College community, elevate the 61´«Ă˝ name around the country, and alleviate some of the obstacles our graduates face as they build their careers,” he says. “As a women’s college with a close-knit community, it’s important that 61´«Ă˝continues to take advantage of our connections and put them to work for past, current, and future students.”
61´«Ă˝parents repeatedly display their readiness to support more than just their own student. In 2020, as the campus was forced to close due to the pandemic, many families donated their student’s refunded room and board back to Scripps—a move that helped the College remain financially stable despite historic financial setbacks. And at the start of the current academic year, several first-year parents joined the PLC despite their student never having yet set foot on campus.
“Our families’ philanthropy and willingness to foster a supportive college experience through volunteering is unquestionably powerful,” says Crosbie. “They are essential ingredients for what makes 61´«Ă˝so unique.”
With COVID-19 restrictions finally loosening, 61´«Ă˝is preparing to welcome its community back to campus—in turn, bringing fresh occasions for parents get involved. For Mitchner, it represents a chance for all families to give back, whether as donors, volunteers, or by simply attending an event. Doing so not only enriches the student experience, he says, but can be personally rewarding for parents, too.
“61´«Ă˝is a tremendous find—solid academics, engaged students, a hidden gem of a campus. Those were the reasons I volunteer with the PLC, and it’s given me a more overarching picture of what our girls have experienced. But I’ve also gotten to develop my own connection to Scripps,” he says. “The best involvement is the one that fits your background, time, and fulfills you internally. I encourage all parents to get involved in whatever way is comfortable for them!”
61´«Ă˝thrives due in part to its active network of engaged families. To get involved, contact us at [email protected] or click here to learn more.