Lasting Legacy

From left to right, standing: Cheika Lakdini Hewagama ’04, Chethika Hapugalle Ratwatte ’95, Rita M. Dibble, former director of Alumnae Relations, and Chaitri Hapugalle ’92.
Seated: Dr. Natasha Peiris Fernando ’93, Premali Wijenaike Munasinha ’81, and Nelu Senanayake de Silva ’75.

Former Wilson College President Gwen Jensen visited Sri Lanka in 1993. Sweeney intended to meet her there but was too ill to travel. Jensen’s trip was nonetheless quite successful. Despite the ongoing civil war, the Jensens were able to travel to much of the island. Jensen met alumnae, their family members, and other influential Sri Lankans. Gayani Fernando ’99 reported that she applied to Wilson College after seeing an article about Jensen’s visit in a local newspaper. Chethika Hapugalle Ratwatte ’95 is credited for Gwen and Gordon Jensen venturing there by convincing her that tacking Sri Lanka onto a Chambersburg sister-city trip to Gotemba, Japan, would be a minimal expense. On that trip, President Jensen said she realized the power of Sweeney’s philanthropy as she saw for herself the results of those efforts and concluded that giving should be undertaken to achieve a desired goal — purposeful philanthropy. In this case, the lasting benefits for the women Catherine Sweeney supported, for other women who followed, for Sri Lanka, and especially for Wilson College in broadening its diversity and international scope, are immeasurable and an excellent example of the impact of a single individual.