Christine Pina ’91
As a first-generation college student, navigating higher education was uncharted territory for Christine Pina ’91 and her family. Early on, dedicated mentors stepped in to help her parents envision what her educational journey could look like. Inspired by her peers—and supported by financial aid—Christine attended boarding school St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire. It was there that she first learned about Wesleyan from her college counselor and alum, Brian Regan ’77.
When she visited Wesleyan for the first time, she didn’t have a “this is it” moment like many people do.
“When I walked on the campus, I was sort of indifferent,” she recalls. “I look back on that and I actually think that was a really good thing because it made me be a little bit more critical in my evaluation of the institution, especially as an 18-year-old.”
Nonetheless, Wesleyan stood out to Christine for its commitment to equity and inclusion—she could see herself reflected in the student body as she walked around campus—and because it was evident that students were deeply engaged in the experience.
“Once I got into schools, I went to every revisit and I sat in on classes,” she says. “At other places, a professor was just talking at people. At Wesleyan, everybody was engaged in the conversation in the way that I was accustomed to.”
Captivated by the freedom to explore diverse subjects in small, discussion-driven classes, Christine knew that Wesleyan was the right fit. Once on campus, she developed a deep appreciation for Wesleyan traditions. From the obvious ones, like everyone knowing (and singing) the fight song, to the quieter ones, like having a sense of service beyond yourself, Christine loves that the Wesleyan traditions are “very Wesleyan.”
“I also think it is a Wesleyan tradition to care about other people,” she says. “And that shows up in all kinds of ways.”
One of the most profound ways this has shown up for Christine is through mentorship.
As a student, Christine worked as a senior interviewer in the Office of Admission. Her supervisor and mentor, Barbara-Jan Wilson, was instrumental in helping her think about what was next for her after Wesleyan.
“I needed to make an enormous amount of money once I graduated from school because I was going to help my parents put my sister through university,” she says. “Barbara-Jan helped me get a job as a consultant with a few other Wesleyan people. I did that for about a year and it was a ton of fun, but I knew I couldn’t do it for the rest of my life.”
Under the guidance of Barbara-Jan, Christine transitioned to higher education, spending seven years in admissions at Dartmouth College focused on expanding access for first-generation and underrepresented students.
While in graduate school, Christine had an internship in the development office that transformed her understanding of how academic institutions achieve their missions, connecting access and affordability directly with philanthropy. Grounded in her own background as a first-generation college student, Christine built a career expanding educational access and creating life-changing pathways for others, working as a major gift officer at top-tier independent secondary schools, including The Madeira School and her alma mater, St. Paul’s.
Eventually, it was Barbara-Jan who recruited Christine back to higher education to join Wesleyan’s major gifts team during a pivotal fundraising campaign.
“I thought we were just going to have lunch in her office,” recalls Christine. “I walked into the room and realized who’s around the table and I turned to her and said: this is an interview.”
At Wesleyan, Christine worked as a major gifts officer—eventually becoming the Director of Major Giving—spearheading plans for a new science facility until the 2008 financial crash forced a strategic pivot toward financial aid, debt reduction, and endowment growth. Years later, her early work on the stalled project came full circle when, as an alumni-elected trustee on Wesleyan’s board, Christine voted to approve the new science building, which opened to students this fall.
Christine’s career has seen her alternating between independent secondary schools and universities. Today, as Chief Advancement Officer at Miss Porter’s School, Christine remains committed to using fundraising to open doors and secure bright futures for deserving students, crediting Wesleyan with instilling the boldness, curiosity, and critical thinking she brings to her work.
“At Wesleyan, people are not afraid to fail or to reinvent themselves. They have moral courage and are not afraid to push back against authority. At its core, Wesleyan allows people to be who they are, and it focuses on being a lifelong partner in helping them grow.”