Shelley Gertzog Cowan K’75: Telling the Stories of Kirkland

Every time Shelley Gertzog Cowan K’75 returns to the Hill for Reunions, she makes new friends. Kirkland College, she said, was by definition a place where independent women charted their own paths, which involved coming and going — Cowan herself spent time abroad in South America doing field work during her college years. 

“By coming to Reunions, you meet all these great women you didn't know when you were there,” Cowan said. “That's really what the story is.”

For her 50th reunion in June 2025, Cowan co-wrote the Kirkland half-century annalists’ letter with Martha Freymann Miser K’75. This process was a special opportunity to find and tell the stories of Kirkland. The two women collected reflections from their classmates, spent time immersed in the College archives, and emerged with a newfound appreciation for their alma mater. 

Cowan wondered whether there was a common thread amongst Kirkland women. Through reading survey responses for the letter, she found that the answer was a resounding yes.

“What we learned through this process was that while we chose Kirkland for a range of reasons, we all shared in common the desire for the chance to learn independently and to let our own curiosity guide us,” Cowan said. “Once we got to Kirkland, there were many different paths that we could take. Kirkland prepared us for a world where there are no easy answers, things are confusing, and you have to figure them out by yourself. That was a pretty universal conclusion.”

Another deeply meaningful part of attending Reunions for Cowan was seeing the ways in which the Kirkland spirit lingers on campus in ways both tangible and intangible: the architecture, the self-exploration inspired by the open curriculum, and the enthusiasm that many current students express for Kirkland.

Cowan is passionate about continuing to weave the story of Kirkland into the College’s history and felt honored to contribute to that aim through the annalists’ letter. 

“I think what really captivated me was that the annalists’ letter started around the time of whenever the first 50th reunion occurred at Hamilton, during the Civil War,” she said. “As a passionate lover of history, that had me right there — the fact that Hamilton uses these letters as part of how they compile the official history of the College. Being able to add to that history was just such a great opportunity.” 

The staying power of Kirkland is mirrored by the staying power of Cowan’s friendships with fellow alumnae, even the friendships she forged decades after graduating. Their 50th reunion prompted Cowan and her classmates to reflect on just how special Kirkland was. 

“I had very thoughtful interactions with people acknowledging that we had such a unique and amazing education,” Cowan said. “Only now, as a person looking back on life, do you go, ‘Oh my God, that was really an incredible experience. Nobody gets to learn like that.’”