Simmons Alumnae/i Referral Program For Graduate Students

We all have a relative, friend, acquaintance, or colleague who we know would benefit from a graduate degree at Simmons. We want to help make that a reality by offering a $500 referral scholarship* for any enrolling student who is nominated by a Simmons alum. Fill out the Simmons Alumnae/i Referral Form and if the person you nominated enrolls, they will receive the $500 Simmons Friend Scholarship.

  • Nominate a potential Simmons graduate student by filling out the form.
  • If the person you nominate enrolls**, they will receive a $500 award during their first term*** at Simmons.

Submit A Nominee


* The Simmons Friend Scholarship is currently available for the 2023-2024 academic year. Scholarships are subject to change and restrictions may apply. Students enrolled in partnership/employer programs are not eligible to receive the Simmons Friend Scholarship.

** Students may be nominated by multiple Simmons alums, but are limited to one $500 award. Simmons alums are not eligible to refer themselves.

*** The referral form must be completed prior to the incoming graduate student’s first term. The scholarship cannot be applied retroactively.

The front of the Main College Building

Simmons University

Upcoming Alumnae/i Events

Founded for Equality, Built for Courage event banner with drawing of Golden Gate Bridge

Founded for Equality, Built for Courage

  • Nov 13, 2024
  • 5:30 am to 8:00 pm
  • 100 Montgomery St., San Francisco, CA 94129
Simmons 125 Reunion Postcard

125th Anniversary Reunion

  • Jun 6, 2025 to Jun 8, 2025
  • All Day
  • Simmons University, 300 The Fenway, Boston, MA 02115

Alumnae/i features

Student in the stacks

Library and Information Science Alum Appointed to Association of Research Libraries

SLIS alum Marcel LaFlamme ’08MS has been appointed Director of Research Policy and Scholarship of the Association of Research Libraries (ARL).


A gallery in the Eric Carle Museum

Children’s Literature Alumna Receives Mentor Award at 2024 Carle Honors

On September 26, Elissa Gershowitz ’00MA, Editor-in-Chief of The Horn Book, received a Mentor Award at the Carle Honors ceremony in New York City. Bestowed by The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art these annual awards celebrate individuals and organizations who have elevated the art of children’s picture-book making.


The logo of The Boston Globe Horn Book Awards

Simmons Children’s Lit Alum on Judging the Horn Book Awards

Rodney Fierce ’12MA, a Humanities Teacher at Sonoma Academy, shares what led him to study children’s literature, his work at the Academy, and his recent experience on the Horn Book Awards Committee.


Shelves full of children's books. Photo by Zoshua Colah on Unsplash.

Children’s and English Literature Alumna Named Agent of the Month

Amy Thrall Flynn 95’MA, ’21MA, Senior Literary Agent of Aevitas Creative Management, has been named “Agent of the Month” (for October 2024) by Writing and Illustrating, a blog devoted to children’s literature authors and illustrators.


Stacy Whitman stands in fron of a mural holding a bag from her bookshop The Curious Cat

Children’s Literature Alum Celebrates Bookshop’s First Anniversary

Stacy Whitman '05MA celebrates the first anniversary of her brick and mortar bookstore, Curious Cat Bookshop in Winsted, CT, with an article in the CT Insider.


Oksana Hradyska

Simmons Biochemistry Alum’s Nonprofit Celebrates 10-year Milestone

Oksana Hradyska ’12 recently celebrated the 10th anniversary of her successful non-profit, Sitters for Scholars. Hradyska founded the organization as a free babysitting service in 2014, in response to the lack of affordable and reliable childcare for parents attending college. The services were later expanded for low-income, single-parent families.


Ally Russell sitting on a chair. Photo credit: Jamie Tan

Children’s Lit Alum Finds Folkloric Inspiration for Spooky Debut Novel

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Children’s Literature Program at Simmons, we caught up with Ally Russell ’15MFA about her role of Marketing Manager at independent publisher Nosy Crow, and the release of her debut novel.


Bridgett Johnson-Pride

The Extroverted Archivist: Engaging the Underrepresented in Archives

Bridgett Johnson-Pride '18MAMS was named Director of Public Services for Archives and Special Collections at Harvard University in October, 2023. We caught up with Johnson-Pride about her current role, and how she engages with patrons as an extroverted archivist.