At Chestnut Hill College, our alumni are the heartbeat of our institution. That is why every year, it is the great pleasure of the College to celebrate and honor a very special group of alumni, our Golden Griffins. Golden Griffins are alumni who have graduated from the College 50 years ago or more, and each year, a new class is added to the ranks. This year, the celebration was quite the special one. Not only were new Golden Griffins, those in the Classes of 1970 and 1971, honored, but all former Golden Griffins were also celebrated and invited to campus for the annual brunch. 

Prior to this October's brunch, the last Golden Griffins celebration was in 2019, as due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, CHC was unfortunately unable to welcome alumni back to campus for the last two years. However, that did not mean that the Class of 1970, which would have become Golden Griffins last year, was forgotten. Thanks to careful planning and campus safety protocols in place, the College community was thrilled to celebrate both the Classes of 1970 and 1971, and to invite those alumni who graduated 50 years ago or more back to campus for the first in-person alumni event since February 2020.

Orchestrated by the College’s Office of Institutional Advancement in concert with the presidents and correspondents of the Classes of 1970 and 1971 (those classes who would have been inaugurated as Golden Griffins over the last two years), a daylong celebration with 77 attendees took place on campus on Saturday, October 2nd.  Supported by eight alumni volunteers and in collaboration with campus partners including Campus Ministry, Chartwells, Housekeeping/Facilities, The Tichenor-Greer Scholarship Program, Logue Library, and Phyllis Jablonowski, highlights of this unforgettable day included a series of events that celebrated the past and looked forward to the future. These events included the traditional brunch, a special lecture remembering John Lukacs as presented by Dr. David Contosta, a student scholarship and Golden Griffins reception, and a beautiful memorial mass in the Motherhouse Chapel, in which all Golden Griffins who have passed away, were lifted up in prayer and remembrance.

One extra special moment was the honoring of Sister Carol Jean Vale, Ph.D., as an honorary Golden Griffin. In presenting the honor, the Golden Griffins said: "Sister Carol’s leadership and vision are unprecedented – not just here on campus, but throughout the City of Philadelphia and the entire landscape of higher education. As a token of our deep gratitude for your service to the College, we would like to induct YOU as Chestnut Hill College Golden Griffin. Sister Carol, this pendant represents your faithfulness to the mission of this wonderful institution. We, the Golden Griffins, hope that it serves as a reminder of the love and gratitude the entire alumni community has for you."