Donor Spotlight: Josette Siqueiros ’95

More than 20 years later, Josette Siqueiros ’95 remembers writing the first sentence of her Pitzer College application letter. “I wrote that attending would be a dream come true. And it came true.”

A New Resources student who graduated in 1995, Josette has remained in close contact with Pitzer while raising four children (three of whom were in elementary school when she became a student) and honing her talent in transformational poetry, which, she said, “entices and brings to light our feelings that are kept in silence.”

One of her poems, “Open the Door,” stands out as her favorite as it represents a powerful change that happened in her life, largely due to her Pitzer experience.

“Because that’s what Pitzer did to me. It opened my inner door; my inner door to my personhood, to my growth, and connected me to who I am, little by little,” she said. “And after college, I continued to grow. Throughout the years, Pitzer has continued to inspire me to move forward. I still feel very connected after 23 years.”

For the education she received at Pitzer, for the validation she experienced, for the openness she was encouraged to cultivate and for wanting to ensure that future students can benefit as she did, Josette has chosen to make a generous planned gift to Pitzer College.

“I got a lot from Pitzer as a student, so I’m giving a little back,” she said.

Reflecting on her Pitzer years, Josette paid homage to Professors José Calderón, Ann Stromberg, Al Wachtel, Ntongela Masilela, Al Schwartz and Jill Benton for helping her know herself, find her voice and use that voice. She was thrilled when, in 2015, Pitzer asked her to make herself heard in a very specific way—Josette was invited to participate in discussions surrounding the search for the College’s sixth president, Melvin L. Oliver.

“It was a beautiful experience. Every time you have a voice, you feel validated,” she said.

Giving credit to Pitzer for shaping so much of who she has become, for moving her forward when she was stuck, Josette is happy to support the College with annual donations as well as her bequest to the Pitzer Fund. Encouraging others to do the same, she offers a simple yet powerful reason why.

“When we want to change the world, we give.”

Contact Lily Shin at 909.621.8432 or plannedgiving@pitzer.edu to learn more about how you, too, can support Pitzer and its students.