HAA Announces 2019 Class Committee Officers and House Representatives

The Harvard Alumni Associaton annouced the nineteen seniors tasked with leading the Class of 2019 as officers and house representatives in an email to the senior class Friday afternoon.

According to their website, the class committee will work over the coming year to foster “communication, participation, volunteerism, and philanthropy” among their peers as the class prepares to join the wider alumni community.

The group was interviewed and ultimately selected by the First and Second Class Marshals, Catherine L. Zhang ’19 and Anant T. Pai ’19, and the six program marshals and six gift marshals. Zhang, Pai, and the twelve marshals were elected last month by the senior class.

“These individuals have demonstrated commitment to the Harvard community, represent the varied interests and experiences of our class, and above all, are excited to give back to our community for years to come,” Pai and Zhang wrote in an emailed statement. “We believe that those selected for positions will contribute substantially by creating inclusive, accessible programming, building community for the class of 2019, and leading within-house events and fundraising efforts.”

The Currier House Representative for the 2019 Class Committee Anne M. Raheem ’19 poses for a photo Monday evening. By Amy Y. Li

Representatives said they were excited to bring the senior class together for their last year at the College.

“There are very few times physically where the class of 2019 comes together, one being...convocation, one of them being graduation,” Dunster House representative Victor C. Agbafe ’19 said. “That person you met during Visitas, or during opening days...you can reconnect with them and form a bond that can last forever.”

Agbafe said he looked forward to organizing a senior brunch in Annenberg, during which — in a sort of symbolic symmetry — students will sit with their freshman year entryway.

“I think the last time we were ever together as a class was freshman year in Annenberg,” Anne M. Raheem ’19, current co-chair of Currier House Committee and former Currier House UC Representative, said. “As we’ve gone through these four years and are now at the end, we’re able to create a space and opportunities for our class to...reconnect with peers we haven’t seen in a while.”

In her role as secretary, Morgan N. V. Buchanan ’19 will be responsible for communicating classwide programming to fellow seniors through newsletters and social media.

“It kind of reminds me of high school because you get so excited to be a high school senior,” she said. “Being on class committee is an opportunity to make sure that we can kind of recapitulate that experience.”

The house representatives, meanwhile, are responsible for organizing events to enhance the house experience during senior year, as well as leading Senior Gift efforts within their house.

The Quincy House Representative for the 2019 Class Committee Rachel M. Chiu ’19 poses for a photo Monday evening. By Amy Y. Li

Agbafe emphasized that students can donate time, rather than money, by participating in fundraising projects like car washes and call-a-thons if financial resources are a barrier.

The representatives, many of whom are involved in their house committees, said they were also thankful for the opportunity to give back to their houses.

“Quincy House means a lot to me,” Quincy House representative Rachel M. Chiu ’19 said. “It’s definitely what makes Harvard feel like a home to me. I really wanted to find a good way to contribute back to this community for my last year.”

Chiu said she was excited for her new appointment and for the committee’s work ahead.

“I think the group this year is a good mix of people that I know really well and really adore and people that I haven’t met yet,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a really great opportunity for us to come together as a class committee and try to make the senior year for the class of 2019 as special as possible.”

Agbafe said the committee’s work is also important to the future of the Class of 2019 beyond graduation.

“If you’re traveling to [San Francisco] one day, and you decide you want to crash on [a fellow alum’s] couch instead of a hotel,” he said. “I think that gives meaning to people’s lives.”