Entering Mount Holyoke College in 1898 as part of the class of 1902, Perkins found that there was no such thing as instant success. She initially struggled with difficult coursework and professors who pushed her beyond her comfort zone. However, Perkins refused to be deterred, rising to any challenge: when she had difficulties with chemistry her sophomore year and was scolded by her professor, Nellie Esther Goldthwaite, a defiant Perkins soldiered through the course, even deciding to ultimately major in the subject with Goldthwaite as her advisor.
Of course, her achievements weren’t all academic. First appointed vice president of her class junior year and then president her senior year, Perkins began to flourish as a leader at Mount Holyoke. Perkins’ influence was felt throughout campus, from holding bureaucratic meetings to putting on and even performing in class-sponsored plays.
Throughout her life, Perkins remained a loyal member of the Mount Holyoke community. From attending all of her reunions, to becoming a trustee, and keeping up with her duties as class president decades after graduation, Perkins’ commitment to her alma mater deserves to be recognized.