Beaver Reflections:
I graduated from Beaver in 1956 and started in 7th grade. Choosing Beaver was probably one of the best decisions of my life. Looking back, it was the perfect place for me. At the time, I always thought of it as a rigorous academic school that required a good deal of classic education work, something I am very appreciative of. One of my favorite teachers was Ms. Pope in the English department. She was one of the best teachers I have had in my entire life. Another teacher I fondly remember is Ms. Sayward, the math teacher. At the time, she was so kind to take on five or six of us students to teach an advanced math class that was not part of the normal curriculum.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After Beaver, I went to Radcliffe, which was part of Harvard but had their own dorms. I think that the teachers I had at Beaver had more of a profound impact on me than the teachers at Harvard. After I graduated from college, I went to the University of Iowa where I got my master’s in English and American literature. After this, I was in the process of getting my PhD but realized when I was writing my thesis that I was not as interested in it as I was in magazines. So, I applied to a bunch of jobs and got my first journalism job at The New Yorker. After that, I moved out to California where I worked for Time and Life magazines and a couple other independent ones. Then, I moved on to working for the Los Angeles Times for almost two decades as a staff writer and columnist. They had a bunch of buyouts, so I took one because I had a novel brainstorming in the back of my mind. Since then, I had my first novel published and my second novel is finished but not yet ready to be published.

“You have to be daring in life. I remember the President from my college said that if you ever come home late from the library and her porch light was on, ring the bell and come inside to have tea and talk with her. There were many nights where I would pass by and the light would be on but I never dared to go in. I was just too shy. She was a phenomenal woman and I missed a terrific chance to get to know her better and talk with someone. This taught me that you have to dare in life because you never know what could come out of it.”

– Susan Diamond ’56

Advice to Beaver students:
I encourage people not to get hung up on where they go to college. You can have a wonderful college experience anywhere no matter the name. All you need to have are a couple of teachers who you connect with and are inspiring, a place you are comfortable in, and a few solid friends where you can stay up all night and talk about life.