Phyllis Holmes Breland '80
You came to the Hill in 1976 "pretty sure [you] could do just about anything." Taking advantage of the joint offerings of Hamilton and Kirkland you concentrated in Theatre. You landed the starring role as "Doreen" in Moliere's Tartuffe. Reflecting back on this for your 25th Reunion you wrote, "Being a woman of color and a Theatre major, I didn't want to play the role of a maid. However, this maid was the captain of the ship! If you remember me, then you know a follower I was not!! I was in my glory and loved showing what I could do."
Tapped as a member of Pentagon and a leader with BLSU, you were recognized for what you could do both on the Hill and after graduation.
You served Central New York as the Division Director of the United Way for eight years before you married and moved to Rochester. There you became a Case Manager, Adoption Specialist, the Associate Department Director of Elder Services at Catholic Family Center before moving back to Syracuse to become an educator for County Health.
Through your years away you never lost contact with, or affection for, Hamilton. You served your alma mater in various capacities including as a free agent and a Career Center volunteer.
You came back to the Hill in 2001, and serve as Director of Higher Education Opportunity Program as well as a mentor for many Posse classes. You continue to give back to Hamilton through the annual fund and your multiple volunteer roles serving as your class president, a member of the Alumni Council, MARC and Performing Arts committees. You were instrumental in planning this Multicultural Reunion and the Multicultural Alumni Relations Committee takes particular pride in saluting you. About your student years at Hamilton you wrote, "I had a place where my voice could be heard, and where I was free to be true to myself and the world." We echo this about your time at Hamilton today, "Your voice is being heard by the College and by the students whose lives you touch through your mentorship. Be true to yourself, the world and to Hamilton."
The Multicultural Alumni Relations Committee and the Hamilton College Office of Alumni Relations take particular pleasure in saluting you for making history and nurturing life-long associations with the campus community.