Pitzer College Family Association

Empowering Pitzer students and pursuing educational equity is Ellie Ash-Balá's full-time job. Get to know Ash-Balá in her new role as Pitzer’s AVP for student wellness and accessibility services: https://ow.ly/ve8Y50ZiWb5

New AVP for Student Wellness and Accessibility Services Ellie Ash-Balá, Ph.D., has joined Pitzer College as the new assistant vice president for student wellness and accessibility services. Ash-Balá brings a passion for educational equity and more than 20 years of experience in higher education and student affairs leadership.“I’m excited to be at P...

A prepared parent is a happy parent. Move-in Day for Pitzer’s Class of 2030 is just a few months away! Stay posted on the latest details by updating your contact info: https://ow.ly/PnY450Zc6si

Navigating the legal system is difficult, especially for those who can’t afford a lawyer. Jacklyn Ybarra Dahlberg ’26 seeks to support these communities as a client advocate fellow with Partners for Justice: https://ow.ly/56xR50ZerPJ

Pitzer Student Selected as Partners for Justice Fellow Navigating the legal system is difficult, especially for those who can’t afford a lawyer. Jacklyn Ybarra Dahlberg ’26 seeks to support these communities as a client advocate fellow with Partners for Justice.Partners for Justice strives to break the cycle of poverty and criminalization by support...

Sharon Vazquez Vite ’26 is building community care in STEM and medicine. Read about how family and social responsibility have inspired her career aspirations: https://ow.ly/3rsn50ZaBIk

Building Community Care in STEM & Medicine For Sharon Vazquez Vite ’26, graduating from Pitzer College is more than a personal milestone. It’s the realization of a dream that is connected with the sacrifice and the hopes of her family.Vazquez Vite grew up in Los Angeles and found inspiration in her parents’ struggles and determination....

Pitzer’s first student mural began as an act of protest. Read more: https://ow.ly/Y7b550Z8gAl

A Constructive Form of Rebellion Pitzer’s first student mural began as an act of protest.One night in fall 1995, Aaron Rhodes ’97 and Darci Raphael '97—who are credited with painting the mural above Mead Hall’s west-facing entrance—made a decision with their friends: We need to paint a mural. Right now. Rhodes recalled ho...

Pitzer’s Modern Languages Department recently brought language learning beyond the classroom — and into the local community. 🇧🇷📚

Students in a Portuguese course taught by Mara Barbosa, Assistant Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, participated in World Cultures Day at nearby Sycamore Elementary School, where they shared presentations about Brazilian culture with local students.

The Pitzer students created interactive sessions on Animals of Brazil, Soccer Culture in Brazil, and Holidays in Brazil, followed by hands-on crafts featuring Brazilian flags, animals, and cultural symbols. They also prepared brigadeiros — a beloved Brazilian dessert often served at children’s parties — for Sycamore students to enjoy.

“It was a very joyful and engaging experience,” Barbosa said. “I was especially happy to see my students using their Portuguese and their knowledge of Brazilian culture in such a meaningful, community-facing way.”

Barbosa's students included (picture 1, from left): Kiara Nisenbaum '29, Isalena Amador '29, Zaina Hughes '29, Brooke Abbruzzese '26 and Melodysol Rivera PO'29. Picture 2: Barbosa (right) with Sycamore parent Marina Zanzarini.

A scavenger hunt in Kathmandu transformed how Madison Wilson ’26 understood herself. Read her first-person POV of studying abroad through Pitzer in Nepal: https://ow.ly/8fLE50Z8eyg

A Scavenger Hunt in Kathmandu Editor’s note: The study abroad experience at Pitzer emphasizes language immersion, homestays, community engagement and independent research while helping students gradually develop the skills and confidence to navigate new cultural and linguistic environments more independently.That was certainly...

No need to wait to celebrate Pitzer’s Class of 2030! Our nationwide Summer Welcome Receptions are a wonderful opportunity for incoming students and families to meet our campus community.

These receptions can include current students, alumni, family members, and Pitzer representatives. Virtual options are also available.

Learn more: https://ow.ly/rjh950Z6Wf8

Pitzer’s Class of 2026 has stepped out into the world, ready to make a difference. Congratulations to our brilliant graduates! 🍊

See all our Commencement photos: https://ow.ly/noUS50Z4UNa

Congrats to Madison Wilson '26 for her selections as a recipient of a 2026 Critical Language Scholarship!

The scholarship offers a fully-funded, immersive opportunity -- and Wilson will be taking hers in the Tanzanian city of Arusha to study Swahili this summer.

Wilson's interest in Swahili began when she participated in Pitzer's highly popular study abroad program (). In addition to the program in Nepal, Wilson participated in the Southern Africa program, getting involved with grassroots women's organizations in Uganda. Language barriers made sustained collaboration challenging -- which is why she's looking forward to studying Swahili as she maintains the relationships she made there.

“The best use of my time in college has been studying abroad in immersive programs,” she said. “It’s shaped how I think about the world and the kind of impact I want to have.”

Read more about Wilson's CLS plans and more at the link in the bio