Michelle Hu ’20 was in Orlando, Florida, for spring break when the message arrived that she and her classmates wouldn’t be returning to campus for the final months of their senior year. It was early in March 2020 and the first wave of COVID-19 infections in the US had prompted Yale leaders to shut down most of campus and switch to remote classes for all undergraduates. “I was devastated,” says Hu. “There were so many people I hadn’t said goodbye to.”

For Hu and the rest of the Class of 2020, their years at Yale ended not on campus but on screens, with longstanding traditions like Senior Week and Class Day shifted to virtual settings. Graduates donned caps and gowns and logged on to an online Commencement ceremony before embarking on their post-college lives. 

Making Up for Lost Time

In May, the Class of 2020 returned to New Haven to celebrate their fifth reunion. Hu, who served as a reunion chair alongside Jessica Greenberg ’20, used the occasion to make up for lost time. “Creating an opportunity for the class to come back and feel connected again has helped to fill the hole of that senior spring that never was,” she says. 

The opportunity had broad appeal. The Class of 2020 had one of the highest ever attendance records for a fifth reunion and helped set a record for overall reunion attendance in 2025. 

Hu and Greenberg put a great deal of thought into planning a reunion focused on bringing their classmates together. “We heeded the advice to not overschedule activities. Instead, our mission was to create the spaces for people to connect,” says Greenberg. “Our first event was a casual gathering at BAR on Thursday evening. We weren’t expecting a particularly large turnout, but then a huge number of our classmates showed up. That really set the tone for the rest of the weekend.” 

Another highlight was “Five Years in Five Minutes,” an open-mic event where members of the class took turns sharing what they’ve been up to since graduation. “The room was packed,” recalls Hu. “So many members of our class volunteered to speak on the spot after hearing others share their stories. We were all just picking up where we left off five years ago.”

Hu and Greenberg agree that watching their classmates feel closer to each other and closer to Yale made for an especially rewarding weekend. “I was reminded of how grateful I am both for my own undergraduate experience here and for what the Yale experience has meant for others,” says Hu. 

Future Positive

That sense of gratitude also inspired contributions to the Class of 2020’s reunion gift. The five co-chairs of the Reunion Gift Committee, Jackson Cole ’20, Tara Campbell ’20, Hannah Weisman ’20, John McKissack ’20, and Shady Qubaty ’20, connected with classmates in the months leading up to reunion to highlight the potential impact of gifts their classmates could make to Yale, no matter the size. The message that resonated with classmates consistently was ensuring that the Yale experience remains accessible to future generations of students. 

“Most of us felt very fondly about our four years at Yale, even though they came to an abrupt end,” notes McKissack. “People in our class really found their undergrad experience to be meaningful and beautiful and unique. The same experience that they value, another student in the future could also value. To make that possible, we need to lend support, just as older alumni supported us. Associating past positive with future positive is always what I tried to get across.”

“When you’re passionate about a certain part of your time at Yale—say, the library or the performing arts—directing a gift to that specific area means that other students can enjoy it as much as you did,” adds Campbell. “Even if Yale changes over time, certain experiences will continue to be special for any student here. It’s up to us to pay it forward.”

Overall, the class successfully raised more than $280,000 for their reunion gift. 

“It’s fantastic that we were able to raise this amount,” says McKissack. “Our main goal was to convey the importance of giving consistently to support a community that has given so much to us. In that regard, some classmates that I thought would never donate were moved to say that they are open to the idea now. That’s a huge win.”