Generation to Generation: Smithies Create a Thriving Society

Tomi-Ann Roberts ’85 is a renowned scholar and author who has deepened the conversation about the sexual objectification of women and girls. She received crucial financial aid from Smith when her family needed it most, and now she’s giving back to support students.

Finding a Calling

Well before Roberts became a professor of psychology at Colorado College, she was in high school noting how the teachers primarily called on all the boys. That didn’t sit well with her. “I thought maybe it would be great to go to college without boys,” she said.

Financial aid was crucial for Roberts to attend Smith—aid that was increased when her family fell on hard times during her sophomore year. “My father called me and said, ‘I don’t think we can manage this anymore,’” she recalls. “But then Smith came through and gave me a boost in my aid. I’ll be forever grateful for that.”

Roberts described herself as a “towheaded blond who got a lot of unwanted attention,” and the environment at Smith allowed her to develop deeper relationships that went beyond the surface. “It turned out that my calling was to study the consequences of being noticed more for your physical appearance than what you have to offer,” she says.

“I’ve been able to fold together a commitment to feminism and gender equality with unassailable research methods,” says Roberts, who serves as an expert witness in cases involving sexual objectification. She received the Smith Medal in 2024.

At Smith, her work-study job as a research assistant in the Department of Psychology gave her the confidence to pursue a graduate degree in psychological scientific research from Stanford. But it was a Smith art history class that first prompted Roberts “to consider the ways that we look at and gaze at the female body in art. And then I started connecting the dots, seeing the ways the sexualized and sexually objectified body of girls and women was all over our culture. That class was a game changer for me.”

Decades later, Roberts is hoping her contributions to scholarship aid provide that same game-changing moment for someone else. “Donating to financial aid means not knowing who your donation goes to, but knowing it’s helping somebody who needs it, and that this person now gets to attend Smith,” she says.

Tackling Well-being for Herself and Others

Taylor Wiberg ’27 grew up in a small town in Maine, and she applied to Smith in search of a “transformative educational experience.” She remembers opening her acceptance letter as her parents read the news over her shoulder. “We all yelled, cried, hugged, and jumped with joy when I got in,” she says.

Inevitably came the next question: How would they afford the tuition? “The feeling of dread regarding finances can feel suffocating when it comes to applying to college,” she says. “I come from a low-income family, and I knew I would have to be able to afford the tuition myself.”

Then Wiberg opened her aid package, and her family yelled, cried, and hugged again. “It was better than I could have imagined,” she says. “I was astounded. We celebrated a third time that same night as I committed to Smith almost immediately after opening my aid package. I knew right then and there that Smith was my new home. There was no other opportunity like it.”

At Smith, Wiberg has embarked on a journey of mental and physical health. She made a friend during orientation, and together they began to train to run a marathon, jogging through the streets of Northampton. Her experience is informing her aspirations to become a therapist, and she will soon declare her major in psychology and minor in exercise and sports science.

“I’ve been learning how my physical and mental health are connected, and as a result I’ve grown as a person,” she says. “It’s been so inspiring for me to get a hold of my life, and I’m passionate about trying to help other people.” Wiberg is also interested in training as a couple’s therapist, guiding people to strengthen their communication skills. “I want to encourage the growth of others around me.”

Wiberg, like Roberts before her, has her sights set on helping people cultivate healthy mindsets and lifestyles. She hopes to earn a master’s in social work after graduation.

Contributing to the Greater Good

Separated by generations, both Roberts and Wiberg are working to create a thriving, balanced society, and their pursuits were made possible by financial aid from Smith.

“I can't imagine anything more gratifying than knowing your dollars are going to support a student who would otherwise not be able to have all of those experiences,” Roberts says. “And then knowing that scholarship aid is also going to contribute to the greater good.”

“Financial aid can be the singular factor that defines someone's future in just a split second,” Wiberg says. “Your contribution isn't just a donation; it's an investment in someone’s aspirations.”

The Here for Every Voice: Generation to Generation initiative has galvanized Smithies of all ages, eager to make a Smith education accessible to today’s and future students. For many donors, this is the first time they have contributed to an endowed fund. Giving circles and class scholarship funds make it possible for individuals to contribute what they can, while as a group attaining the endowed amount and a gift match. Endowed gifts, whether individual or collective, qualify for the Generation to Generation Gift Matching Program, increasing the impact of the donation. Learn more at smith.edu/access.

To make a gift, please contact Betsy Carpenter ’93, associate vice president for development, at ewcarpen@smith.edu or 413-585-2052.