- By Tishya Robertson, Staff Writer -
The Meredith onyx has linked Meredith Angels far and wide since the Class of 1954 first slipped it on their fingers. The Class of 2019 will slip on their rings this Friday at Raleigh Marriott City Center, beginning a lifetime full of chance encounters, networking opportunities, and more. Here are just a few stories from current and former students.
“I was at a cast party the winter before my Freshman year. I saw this gal who I didn’t know mingling with some of my castmates, and when she gestured, I noticed the Onyx on her finger. I blurted out “are you going to Meredith?” Turns out, she was an alumna, and we exchanged information so she could put me in touch with some of her professors. As we messaged back and forth, we realized we had a lot more in common than just Meredith, and became fast friends. She was one of the first people I saw when I finally got my Onyx, and we realized that hers was the whole reason we’d been friends for three years!”
-Ann Cox, ‘18
“I’ve met so many Meredith alumnae by seeing their rings — while shopping, at the dry cleaner’s, doctors’ offices, even at an out of state rest area — always followed by the question, “Are you a Meredith grad?” That is always followed by a big smile, a yes, and questions about what year we graduated, majors, and a long list of favorite professors. It’s always the same and it never gets old. The Meredith onyx ring is more than just a lovely piece of jewelry; it leads us to friends we haven’t met yet and connects us to our memories of that special place on Hillsborough Street.”
-Marva Watkins, ‘86
“I currently work for supply chain corporate offices for a roofing supply distribution company, which is heavily male-dominated. I’ve been blessed with opportunities to travel with this job, and I seem to always have somebody recognize my onyx ring. Whether I’m here in the Goldsboro office or in Wilmington or Savannah, at least one male co-worker will come up to me and say, “Hey! My sister/girlfriend/wife/best friend/etc went to Meredith!” And that is usually paired with “Are you an even or an odd?” And/or “Did you do Cornhuskin?” This has allowed me to have many wonderful icebreaker conversations with my male peers, as they are genuinely interested to hear about my old glory days back in Wonderland. It still pleasantly surprises me to this day just how recognizable our rings are. It’s a nice reminder that I’m still a part of the sisterhood, no matter where I am.”
-Brooke Mayo, ‘16
“I was on a tour bus in Ireland with Tia Joyce in the summer of 2015. We were riding from Dublin out to the Cliffs of Moher, when we noticed that the lady seated in front of us had an onyx. When Tia showed the lady her onyx, she told us that she graduated in 2011 and was an au pair in Paris. I took a couple of onyx pictures for Tia at the Cliffs of Moher with our new friend :)”
-Katie Murphy, ‘18
“Once, I was driving on an interstate in Illinois with friends and saw a car with both Meredith College and University of Illinois decals on it. I whooped and asked the friend who was driving the car in which I was a passenger to speed up. We did and pulled alongside the car with decals of both of my alma maters. I started enthusiastically pointing to my Meredith ring, which mystified the male drive of the other car. But the woman beside him started bouncing up and down, pointing to her ring. We signaled to each other to pull over at the next exit, and we had an impromptu alumnae meeting right there on the prairie.”
-Dr. Jean Jackson, ‘75
Photo courtesy of Ann Cox
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