First published in the March 24 print issue of the Pasadena Outlook.
Photos courtesy
Westridge School
Nearly 150 Westridge School alumni hailing from classes spanning from 1956 to 2019 returned to their alma mater to celebrate Alumnae Weekend, held March 11-12.
The two days of festivities included a luncheon, coffee reception, speaker event, sports games, campus tours and a reception honoring Westridge ceramics teacher Juanita Jimenez, who recently retired after 50 years with the school.
The weekend kicked off with a tea party on Friday with members of the Class of 1972, who are celebrating their 50th reunion, and 4th-graders from the school.
On Saturday morning, alumni heard from researcher, educator and racial justice consultant Bianca Mabute-Louie, who spoke about her activism and community organizing. A 2008 Westridge graduate, Mabute-Louie is this year’s Distinguished Young Alumna Award winner for her work on anti-Asian violence and Black-Asian relations.
At noontime, alumni gathered outdoors for a luncheon, where 1990 alumna Vicki Vlachakis von Holzhausen, an award-winning automotive designer turned entrepreneur with the von Holzhausen brand of 100% animal-free and sustainable leather alternative goods, was named the Mary Lowther Ranney Distinguished Alumna Award winner.
This year, Westridge presented the new Elizabeth J. McGregor Forever Fund Award in honor of McGregor’s upcoming retirement in June and to commend the Class of 1969 for their outstanding fundraising on the Forever Fund to support financial aid.
