From internship to friendship

The Wheaton College community is built on a foundation of lifelong connection and mutual support. Inspired by the powerful stories and connections between alumni, writer Christine Koh ’95 has set out to chronicle the unique ways our alumni impact one another’s lives.

Originally featured in the Fall 2025 Wheaton Magazine, this series brings to light how graduates across different generations are shifting trajectories and creating meaningful relationships. We hope you enjoy this first look at the ties that bind the Wheaton family together.

Share Your Story
Do you have a story of alumni connection or support? We’d love to hear it. Submit your story here.

When Shiwei Julia Huang ’15 began her internship with Sandra Sable Gilpatrick ’95, she had no idea how transformative the experience would be, both professionally and personally.

Gilpatrick, an investment professional who studied economics at Wheaton, has welcomed over 20 Wheaton interns to work with her, and she knows how critical it is to offer opportunities to women, especially in a male-dominated industry such as finance. During her junior year off-campus at Dartmouth College via the Twelve College Exchange Program, Gilpatrick landed an internship that later led to an opportunity to connect with alumna Wendy Wheeler ’76. “Wendy was looking for another woman to partner with. She took a chance on me,” reflected Gilpatrick. Wheeler offered Gilpatrick her first job following graduation, which has inspired Gilpatrick to pay it forward through internship opportunities in the years since.

In 2013, one of those interns was Shiwei Julia Huang ’15, an economics/mathematics major who now works as a software engineer.

Huang felt the impact of Gilpatrick’s mentorship immediately. Gilpatrick didn’t simply foist off scut work to her interns; she wanted to provide information and educational opportunities that could set them up for life. “Sandra taught me about powerful wealth-building tools that led me to begin investing in my 401K starting with my very first job. She moved me to take action on things a lot of young people don’t think about, like setting up a trust and a will. She also stressed the importance of talking about finances in relationships,” shared Huang.

Gilpatrick and Huang ended up being an ideal mentor/mentee match. “She was a sponge,” shared Gilpatrick. “I could tell she heard and clearly remembered everything I said because she would later quote it back. Whether it was financial or personal, Shiwei cared about learning and took our conversations seriously and to heart.”

Indeed, over the years, whether the advice has been professional or personal, Shiwei has soaked it all in. She notes that Gilpatrick is remarkable in how genuine she is in building relationships in a field that can be transactional and sales-focused, how her candid professional advice has helped Huang realize the importance of planning and goal-setting, and how Gilpatrick is a model of contentness and a balanced life—she is dedicated to her profession and also prioritizes life with her husband, George, and son Lachlan, as well as her community activities in Beacon Hill and her volunteer work for Wheaton.

Though Gilpatrick and Huang’s lives are naturally in different places given their 20-year age difference, they share a caring commitment to one another as well as to Wheaton. “Whenever I have a question, Sandra always answers. I ask her one question and we will talk for two hours,” noted Huang. Gilpatrick was touched when Huang gifted Lachlan with a maneki-neko (a cat figurine that symbolizes good luck).

Seeing one another at Wheaton’s 2025 Commencement & Reunion was like coming home for both women. Gilpatrick, who volunteers for the Greater Boston Wheaton Club and writes letters to accepted students, remarked that post-Wheaton is truly her story. “The admissions office picks amazing people. Every Wheaton alum I meet is wonderful, and I feel connected to them,” noted Gilpatrick. She sees how special the alumni network is, and that is where she most deeply feels her love for Wheaton. “I recommend to all alums: find your city group, volunteer, get to know people. You meet so many people, both socially and for networking.”

For Huang, Wheaton is her actual second family, given that her parents live in China. She noted that her computer science professor Michael Gousie and academic advisor John Gildea have been a continued source of support over the years, and that she has spent many holidays with the families of Wheaton friends. Those traditions and connections run so deep, in fact, that the parent of one of Huang’s Wheaton hallmates recently texted to ask if she wanted to catch up via FaceTime.

“I wouldn’t be who I am without going to Wheaton,” shared Huang. In addition to her friendships, she noted how powerful it was to travel to Tanzania and South Africa through the Beyond the West faculty-led programs, and to travel to Bangladesh one summer through Wheaton’s global fund. “When I am feeling low, I think about these classes,” Huang shared. “Thinking about African dance or exploring the stars through astronomy classes makes me smile and remember that life is about more than coding or a job—it’s about experiences and relationships.”

The Wheaton connection doesn’t end at graduation or reunion. Whether you have five minutes to update your info or five hours a month to mentor a student, your involvement strengthens our entire community.

Ways to Engage

No matter how you choose to show up, your engagement makes a meaningful impact on the next generation of Lyons.

Tagged