By Sofia Ernst ‘29
Photo Courtesy of Lucy Doughton ‘29
It’s summer; there are no homework deadlines, no scholastic expectations, just long and peaceful days. Or that’s how summer was supposed to be for Sarah Lawrence student Lucy Doughton ‘29. Over the summer of 2026, Doughton found herself among many students who would lose their Don, Elias Rodrigues. While he was not the only faculty member to leave this summer, his departure left many donnees without a Don. Now away from campus, juggling her new Resident Advisor responsibilities and working in marketing over the summer, Doughton faced a different challenge: finding a new Don.
Dons serve as the most fundamental form of an advisor at Sarah Lawrence College. Yes, there are class deans and class presidents, but the Dons serve a different purpose. They are professors students can build a one-on-one relationship with over their four years here. Dons are a big draw for students hoping to attend Sarah Lawrence, aiding students through college life and major transitional periods. Although professors leaving is not uncommon, only 2 Dons had left this year. This change came without warning. “We ended the year on a strong note, and then over the summer. I got an email from him just being like, "Hey, I’m sorry this is last minute. I’m gonna go teach at another institution. You have to find a new Don, so sorry.”
Despite receiving direct communication from her former Don, Doughton does not recall receiving any official notice from the school. When reached out to for comment, the Registrar stated that an email is sent to each student explaining that students must secure a new Don before registration and to work with their class dean if they have any other questions. This email also acts as their assistance process for Donless students. “The school didn’t reach out. It was the sort of thing where I was like, okay. I have to find a new Don.”
The fallout of this situation led to a period of trial and error. During her search, Doughton looked at a professor she had taken a memoir class with over the course of freshman year, Domenica Ruta. As a creative writing and English literature student, Doughton worked closely with Professor Ruta, a writing professor at Sarah Lawrence College. “I immediately reached out to her, saying, ' Please be my Don and she emailed me back saying I would love to be your Don, but I’m not a tenured professor, so I can’t.”
Professor Ruta shared a similar sentiment: “It’s horrible when this happens, and it’s hard as a guest faculty member who has meaningful relationships with students, but none of the power that tenured professors have because I want to help, but cannot.”
The requirement for professors to be tenured before becoming Dons was a fact that Doughton had been unaware of before this moment and hopes to bring attention to. Turning frustration into community action has been second nature to her, as this situation shows. Raised between New York City and Portland, Oregon, she learned how to navigate complex, contrasting worlds. The perspectives Doughton gained as a result help to inform her resident advisor work and class interest.
The only child of two artists, family- biological and chosen- was important: “I grew up around a lot of cousins. Both biological cousins and cousins from chosen family. That’s something that’s really important.”
Doughton’s relationships with the people around her also continued to inform her advocacy work: “I have three cousins who are biological cousins who recently came out as transgender. And a lot of my chosen family have been affected by AIDS. And unfortunately a lot of them passed away before I could meet them.” This connection to queer advocacy in particular was passed down from her parents: “My dad’s a filmmaker, so the people I see in his films from when he was my age have all passed on, so it kind of leaves a shadow over my life.”
Doughton’s personal values were further shaped by her time at a Catholic all-girls school, the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. During this time, she took classes on justice and ethics, rather than the regular Catholic school curriculum. “There’s not a lot of social justice-focused things in Portland, Oregon, because there’s not a lot of people of color…but luckily my high school was super super cool.”
The education Doughton received both at school and from her parents is part of what drew her to Professor Rodrigues class in the first place: “In high school, I read Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. I loved that book, and I saw Toni Morrison on the syllabus, so I was like, ‘let’s do it’.”
These same values also drew her to her now-Don, Caden Manson. Caden, a family friend of Lucy’s mother, heads the theatre department here at Sarah Lawrence College. Doughton’s mother recommended them to her following the situation with Professor Ruta. Despite not being a theatre student, Doughton is excited to start this new chapter with Manson as her Don.
