The Margaret Bright Gallery of Class Dolls

Saturday, August 20, 2016
My name is Luna Patience Valencia. Today is the beginning of my journey at Meredith as it is the first day of freshman orientation, and I’ve decided to keep a journal to document my experience. I’m a commuter, so I don’t have to worry about moving in. My friend Brooke Mattingly, a fellow member of the class of 2020, made me a keychain for my car keys that looks like a daisy chain. This design is in honor of the Class Day tradition, which I get to experience for the first time next year. I also met my Big Sis, Brittlyn, today. She gave me a water bottle to keep me eco-friendly and hydrated, and I want to use it to collect stickers to commemorate my experiences at Meredith.

Saturday, August 20, 2016
My name is Luna Patience Valencia. Today is the beginning of my journey at Meredith as it is the first day of freshman orientation, and I’ve decided to keep a journal to document my experience. I’m a commuter, so I don’t have to worry about moving in. My friend Brooke Mattingly, a fellow member of the class of 2020, made me a keychain for my car keys that looks like a daisy chain. This design is in honor of the Class Day tradition, which I get to experience for the first time next year. I also met my Big Sis, Brittlyn, today. She gave me a water bottle to keep me eco-friendly and hydrated, and I want to use it to collect stickers to commemorate my experiences at Meredith.

Friday, November 4, 2016
Tonight I can finally say I have experienced Cornhuskin'! I now understand how indescribable this wonderful tradition is. Our theme was The "Little Mere-maid," and we wore red tutus. Excitingly, we came in 3rd place as freshmen! That never happens!

Friday, October 19, 2018
I haven't written in a while. I've been so busy with classes and traditions, but I'm finally a junior. Tonight was the night every Meredith Angel waits for -- Ring Dinner! At the end of Ring Dinner, my Big and my Little came to surprise me. I met my Little earlier in the semester, and I got another sticker from our first social where we watched Legally Blonde together. Tonight, I wore a black dress and my favorite star earrings I bought for our Sophomore Cornhuskin'. Our theme was "You Ain't Never Had a Sister Like Me," in honor of our Bigs. The star is even more important because one night during practice, we all saw a shooting star together! Ring Dinner was a wonderful reminder of the strong bond I have with all of my sisters—past, present, and future.

Saturday, November 2, 2019
Senior year has been a whirlwind so far. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg came to campus in September. I was able to attend the student-only session to hear her speak in Jones Auditorium. I even got a sticker to commemorate the event! More importantly, tonight was our last Cornhuskin’. We finally won! Our theme was the MC Experience, a tribute to how wacky Meredith traditions are, especially Cornhuskin’. My first name, Luna, represents this theme -- the nights were long for a moment like that. My name also reminds me of the solar eclipse we experienced in the summer of 2017 at the beginning of our sophomore year.

Wednesday, March 18, 2020
My last semester at Meredith has taken an unexpected turn. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Meredith announced that classes are moving online, and my friends living on campus have to move home. It's been a stressful time, and last night I painted my nails to help me relax. Like many of my other sisters that live in Johnson Hall, they are a berry red color. Today, I drove to campus to take a long walk and clear my head. I wore my "Alice" blue jumpsuit that my friend Hannah Sadel made for me, a cardigan to keep warm, my glasses to help me maintain 20/20 vision, and some comfy metallic platform sandals. My jumpsuit color was inspired by "Alice in Wonderland," a tradition I have looked forward to for the past four years, that I finally experienced in January! I brought my water bottle along to stay hydrated during my walk and noticed how many stickers I've collected over the years. A recent addition was a monogram sticker to represent all three of our class advisors, Rebekah, Kelsey, and Courtney.

Before the chaos started, I was able to vote in the presidential primaries. I even kept my "I Voted" sticker to add to my water bottle. My time at Meredith has aligned with many important political milestones, including the 2016 presidential election my freshman year, and the presidential election and centennial celebration of the 19th Amendment this year. Many other exciting things were supposed to happen this semester, too, like Class Day and Commencement. Even though these events won't happen as planned, President Allen has assured us that we will get to celebrate together eventually. This is what inspired my middle name, Patience. Our class has been forced into a unique situation where we must wait to fully celebrate our last moments together. These current events have also required a lot of strength and bravery, which prompted my last name, Valencia. Our time at Meredith has taught us to use our strengths at all times, especially in difficult days, and staying strong has never been as important as it is now. While being patient and brave, I look forward to being reunited with my sisters soon.

Thursday, March 11, 2021
Today we finally heard some news about graduation! After almost a year of waiting, we found out we’ll be having an outdoor ceremony on campus the weekend of May 1st. I’m excited to see my friends and hear all about their adventures outside the gate, especially my friends who have started graduate school. The past year has been turbulent, with the pandemic lasting longer than any of us imagined and having to find my footing after leaving Meredith. I got my first full-time job at the end of last summer after a difficult job search. My life as a Meredith graduate looks a little different than I had always planned, but I know now that I can handle anything. Things are finally starting to look up. The vaccine seems like a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s been a long year, and although graduation won’t be the traditional ceremony, I’m so thankful that our class is able to come together to officially celebrate becoming Meredith College alumnae.

Gwendolyn is proudly wearing her natural hair styled with two braids on top. Her distressed jean jacket is similar to those worn by many of our sisters to sporting events, concerts, or to class. The back is painted with the words "Meant to Fly" which comes from the song "Starships" used in one of her Freshman year Cornhuskin' dances. There are wings painted around the lyrics; a nod to being the kind of woman who truly is capable of flying wherever she dreams—a Meredith Angel. Her white cropped tee shirt has hands of all races reaching up and using American Sign Language to spell out the phrase "Be Kind." Black pants are a staple in her wardrobe: leggings on a casual day, when working out, or for class, and skinny jeans, preferably with some holes in them, when she is hanging out with friends or going on a coffee run. Her white sneakers resemble the ones so many of us have in our closets and she is wearing her favorite everyday accessories: a tiny gold necklace, hair-tie, gold hoops, and most importantly her onyx. Her final accessory is her mask that she wears to protect herself and others during the pandemic. The various items Gwendolyn has with her represent some of the traditions, memories, people, and accomplishments that made the class of 2021 s time at Meredith so amazing. She is carrying her roller skates that she wore for her junior year Cornhuskin', when her class brought disco and rollerskating to the amphitheater. Tucked in her book bag, she also has the spirit stick they won that night. This was so special because, having no idea this would be their last true Cornhuskin', the class of 2021 united together, spread positivity, and boogied their hearts out to win the most important Cornhuskin' award of all. Her book bag has two buttons attached to the outside: one says, "odds love evens" and the other depicts Ruth Bader Ginsburg's collar. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg button is a memento from RBGs Meredith College lecture less than a year before Ginsburg passed away. Inside she has a trophy from where her class won STUNT as sophomores, an Oddball ring from Ring Week, wireless headphones, and her laptop. She personalized her laptop with stickers that are meaningful to her. The M and N are for her amazing Cornhuskin' and STUNT Co-chairs, Megan Gale and Neali Helms. The "vote" sticker is from voting in the 2020 presidential election, a pivotal and historical marker in our lives as we voted for the first time and the first woman of color was elected Vice President. Her circular pride sticker is a public display of support for her LGBTQ+ sisters. The numbers 19 and 23 are for her Big Sis and Little Sis classes. The BLM sticker shows her support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Gwendolyn Daisy Ad Astra is her full name. Gwendolyn is in honor of Gwendolyn Matthews, '71, who was the first Black student to graduate from Meredith College. We recognize how vital our sisters of color are to our class and admire those who, like Gwendolyn, are breaking barriers both on and off-campus. Her middle name is Daisy because of the part this flower has played in so many of the traditions we have experienced together. At the Orientation Welcome Session in our first year, we were given daisy seeds. We made flower crowns out of daisies with our Big Sisters during our Big-Little Reveal. For Class Day we made chains of daisies before the sun rose. During Ring Week, we wore a daisy ring on the day we got to pick up our onyxes. Lastly, Ad Astra is Latin for "through adversity" and is in honor of our fighting spirit. The class of 2021 faced numerous challenges during our time at Meredith: protesting for our rights, severe storms, unique personal struggles, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but together we prevailed. We have faced losses, made sacrifices, and been forced out of our comfort zones. We have struggled, but through it, we gained knowledge, we became better people, and most importantly, realized the true depth of our strength.

Gwendolyn is proudly wearing her natural hair styled with two braids on top. Her distressed jean jacket is similar to those worn by many of our sisters to sporting events, concerts, or to class. The back is painted with the words "Meant to Fly" which comes from the song "Starships" used in one of her Freshman year Cornhuskin' dances. There are wings painted around the lyrics; a nod to being the kind of woman who truly is capable of flying wherever she dreams—a Meredith Angel. Her white cropped tee shirt has hands of all races reaching up and using American Sign Language to spell out the phrase "Be Kind." Black pants are a staple in her wardrobe: leggings on a casual day, when working out, or for class, and skinny jeans, preferably with some holes in them, when she is hanging out with friends or going on a coffee run. Her white sneakers resemble the ones so many of us have in our closets and she is wearing her favorite everyday accessories: a tiny gold necklace, hair-tie, gold hoops, and most importantly her onyx. Her final accessory is her mask that she wears to protect herself and others during the pandemic. The various items Gwendolyn has with her represent some of the traditions, memories, people, and accomplishments that made the class of 2021 s time at Meredith so amazing. She is carrying her roller skates that she wore for her junior year Cornhuskin', when her class brought disco and rollerskating to the amphitheater. Tucked in her book bag, she also has the spirit stick they won that night. This was so special because, having no idea this would be their last true Cornhuskin', the class of 2021 united together, spread positivity, and boogied their hearts out to win the most important Cornhuskin' award of all. Her book bag has two buttons attached to the outside: one says, "odds love evens" and the other depicts Ruth Bader Ginsburg's collar. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg button is a memento from RBGs Meredith College lecture less than a year before Ginsburg passed away. Inside she has a trophy from where her class won STUNT as sophomores, an Oddball ring from Ring Week, wireless headphones, and her laptop. She personalized her laptop with stickers that are meaningful to her. The M and N are for her amazing Cornhuskin' and STUNT Co-chairs, Megan Gale and Neali Helms. The "vote" sticker is from voting in the 2020 presidential election, a pivotal and historical marker in our lives as we voted for the first time and the first woman of color was elected Vice President. Her circular pride sticker is a public display of support for her LGBTQ+ sisters. The numbers 19 and 23 are for her Big Sis and Little Sis classes. The BLM sticker shows her support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Gwendolyn Daisy Ad Astra is her full name. Gwendolyn is in honor of Gwendolyn Matthews, '71, who was the first Black student to graduate from Meredith College. We recognize how vital our sisters of color are to our class and admire those who, like Gwendolyn, are breaking barriers both on and off-campus. Her middle name is Daisy because of the part this flower has played in so many of the traditions we have experienced together. At the Orientation Welcome Session in our first year, we were given daisy seeds. We made flower crowns out of daisies with our Big Sisters during our Big-Little Reveal. For Class Day we made chains of daisies before the sun rose. During Ring Week, we wore a daisy ring on the day we got to pick up our onyxes. Lastly, Ad Astra is Latin for "through adversity" and is in honor of our fighting spirit. The class of 2021 faced numerous challenges during our time at Meredith: protesting for our rights, severe storms, unique personal struggles, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but together we prevailed. We have faced losses, made sacrifices, and been forced out of our comfort zones. We have struggled, but through it, we gained knowledge, we became better people, and most importantly, realized the true depth of our strength.

We are thrilled to present the newest member of the class of 2022, Miriam Imani Roble. The name was chosen because it has cultural significance, and significance to Meredith College. Miriam is Afro-Latina, and is named after Miriam Jiménez Román, an Afro-Latina activist. Jiménez Román worked to bridge the gap between African Americans and Latinx people in the United States, and created spaces and outlets for Black Latinx people that didn’t exist previously. In light of social issues affecting these communities, Miriam represents solidarity in hardship. Imani, meaning faith, is representative of all different types of faith present within our class. Whether it be religious faith, faith in oneself, one's friends, or one's family; having faith keeps us motivated in times of hardship and difficulty. Roble, the Spanish word for oak, represents our great city of Raleigh, the city of oaks, where Meredith College was founded and has been located for many years. Miriam has seen it all through our 4 years at Meredith. She started off strong first and second year, and facing challenges with Covid, but was able to be back in person with her peers for senior year. She’ll never forget the amazing Cornhuskin’s, especially our freshman year because it was so sweet. Now, as our senior year comes to an end, it feels bittersweet, but she’ll never forget the memories we made after class.

We are thrilled to present the newest member of the class of 2022, Miriam Imani Roble. The name was chosen because it has cultural significance, and significance to Meredith College. Miriam is Afro-Latina, and is named after Miriam Jiménez Román, an Afro-Latina activist. Jiménez Román worked to bridge the gap between African Americans and Latinx people in the United States, and created spaces and outlets for Black Latinx people that didn’t exist previously. In light of social issues affecting these communities, Miriam represents solidarity in hardship. Imani, meaning faith, is representative of all different types of faith present within our class. Whether it be religious faith, faith in oneself, one's friends, or one's family; having faith keeps us motivated in times of hardship and difficulty. Roble, the Spanish word for oak, represents our great city of Raleigh, the city of oaks, where Meredith College was founded and has been located for many years. Miriam has seen it all through our 4 years at Meredith. She started off strong first and second year, and facing challenges with Covid, but was able to be back in person with her peers for senior year. She’ll never forget the amazing Cornhuskin’s, especially our freshman year because it was so sweet. Now, as our senior year comes to an end, it feels bittersweet, but she’ll never forget the memories we made after class.

With great excitement and honor, the Class of 2023 presents this year’s Senior Class Doll, Ruth Valentina Harris. Ruth’s first name is in recognition of the late Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who made a historic visit to Meredith during our first year. Her middle name, Valentina, is a Ukrainian name meaning “strength, hope, and bravery.” As graduation nears, the continued conflict in Ukraine weighs heavily on our hearts. Her last name, Harris, is a nod to America’s first female vice president, Kamala Harris, who was sworn into office during our sophomore year. Alongside Ruth is her service dog, Oakley, he is named after the city of Raleigh, more known as the City of Oaks, and the home of our beloved college. As a member of Gen Z, Ruth is greatly influenced by the laid back styles seen all over social media and Meredith’s campus. Ruth is modeling a pair of ripped jeans and a white crop top embellished with daisies (she also now has Crocs). Oakley is also a proud member of the Class of 2023. He represents the many service animals that have resided on Meredith’s campus during our time here. This certified good boy loves to play in the BDH courtyard and make new friends while off-duty. Additionally, he represents the members of our class with disabilities and those who advocate for accessibility changes. Our class is proudly increasing awareness and the need for accessibility and inclusivity in all Meredith spaces. Our senior class funds are designated to Meredith’s disability services, specifically aiming to provide ADA-compliant entrance and exit signs for buildings on campus that do not already have these markings. During the post-Covid-19 return to study abroad, Ruth and several of her classmates studied abroad in summer of 2022. Oakley’s vest is fashioned with flags from the countries that members of the Class of 2023 visited during their time abroad. These flags also represent the various countries of several international students in the Class of 2023. Surrounding them is all of Ruth’s Cornhuskin’ memorabilia. She holds a basketball to remind her of her time on the court during MereCo Musical in 2019. She wears a sun necklace to remind her of the dream she shared with her sister during spring Cornhuskin’ in 2021. Oakley keeps a few planets close to remind them of their journey to space in Bling out of this World in 2021. He also wears a chef hat because he served up looks during our senior Corn at Master Chef. Ruth is a communications major, passionate about social media marketing. She was grateful to have one class in the new CHESS building before graduation, and can’t wait to see both the communications and the exercise sports science programs thrive in the coming years.

A letter from Ruth herself: Dear Class of 2023,

As we prepare to embark on our new journey beyond Meredith’s gates, I want to thank you for the time, commitment, and community you have given to all at Meredith. Our class’s dedication to all social justice issues and fighting for the changes we wanted to see on Meredith’s campus has surely made a lasting impact. Whether you participated in every opportunity, none at all, or anything in between, I hope you know you are a valued member of the community. I am beyond proud and honored to soon be a fellow alumni alongside all of you. Oakley and I will greatly miss lunches at BDH between classes, Cornhuskin’ practices, and the late nights bonding over hard tests and assignments in the library. As you prepare to turn your Onyxes out to the world and flip your tassels, I hope you can look back on your time at Meredith with fondness and joy. Last but not least, go odds! Signed, love and best barks, Ruth and Oakley

With great excitement and honor, the Class of 2023 presents this year’s Senior Class Doll, Ruth Valentina Harris. Ruth’s first name is in recognition of the late Supreme Court justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who made a historic visit to Meredith during our first year. Her middle name, Valentina, is a Ukrainian name meaning “strength, hope, and bravery.” As graduation nears, the continued conflict in Ukraine weighs heavily on our hearts. Her last name, Harris, is a nod to America’s first female vice president, Kamala Harris, who was sworn into office during our sophomore year. Alongside Ruth is her service dog, Oakley, he is named after the city of Raleigh, more known as the City of Oaks, and the home of our beloved college. As a member of Gen Z, Ruth is greatly influenced by the laid back styles seen all over social media and Meredith’s campus. Ruth is modeling a pair of ripped jeans and a white crop top embellished with daisies (she also now has Crocs). Oakley is also a proud member of the Class of 2023. He represents the many service animals that have resided on Meredith’s campus during our time here. This certified good boy loves to play in the BDH courtyard and make new friends while off-duty. Additionally, he represents the members of our class with disabilities and those who advocate for accessibility changes. Our class is proudly increasing awareness and the need for accessibility and inclusivity in all Meredith spaces. Our senior class funds are designated to Meredith’s disability services, specifically aiming to provide ADA-compliant entrance and exit signs for buildings on campus that do not already have these markings. During the post-Covid-19 return to study abroad, Ruth and several of her classmates studied abroad in summer of 2022. Oakley’s vest is fashioned with flags from the countries that members of the Class of 2023 visited during their time abroad. These flags also represent the various countries of several international students in the Class of 2023. Surrounding them is all of Ruth’s Cornhuskin’ memorabilia. She holds a basketball to remind her of her time on the court during MereCo Musical in 2019. She wears a sun necklace to remind her of the dream she shared with her sister during spring Cornhuskin’ in 2021. Oakley keeps a few planets close to remind them of their journey to space in Bling out of this World in 2021. He also wears a chef hat because he served up looks during our senior Corn at Master Chef. Ruth is a communications major, passionate about social media marketing. She was grateful to have one class in the new CHESS building before graduation, and can’t wait to see both the communications and the exercise sports science programs thrive in the coming years.

A letter from Ruth herself: Dear Class of 2023,

As we prepare to embark on our new journey beyond Meredith’s gates, I want to thank you for the time, commitment, and community you have given to all at Meredith. Our class’s dedication to all social justice issues and fighting for the changes we wanted to see on Meredith’s campus has surely made a lasting impact. Whether you participated in every opportunity, none at all, or anything in between, I hope you know you are a valued member of the community. I am beyond proud and honored to soon be a fellow alumni alongside all of you. Oakley and I will greatly miss lunches at BDH between classes, Cornhuskin’ practices, and the late nights bonding over hard tests and assignments in the library. As you prepare to turn your Onyxes out to the world and flip your tassels, I hope you can look back on your time at Meredith with fondness and joy. Last but not least, go odds! Signed, love and best barks, Ruth and Oakley