BOWlumni Shoutout

I encountered two Wellesley Alumni during my internship at USAID’s U.S. Global Development Lab (“the Lab”). Out of the less than 200 people working in the Lab, I felt it significant that there were two BOWlumni. I thought I would give these outstanding ladies a shout out. They are both stellar examples of what Wellesley's academic environment can lead to.

•  I ran into Amanda Davis at a coffee shop in the Ronald Reagan Building. Amanda recognized my Babson water bottle and we struck up a conversation. She was also new to the U.S. Global Development Lab (“the Lab”). I attended a Lab Access training with her. Lab Access is a day-long Lab-specific new employee orientation. Amanda recently started in Strategy and Operations on the Center for Global Solutions team. Interestingly enough, she participated in Wellesley French Department’s study abroad program in Provence. I took a special interest in our French connection as I took three French courses at Wellesley. Amanda graduated from Wellesley in 2011 in Political Science and Religion.
• Chayva Lehrman worked a few cubicles away from me before my team moved offices in mid-June. Chayva was a Program Assistant and Communications Lead on the Research Partnerships for Development team. She recently transitioned to being the Special Assistant to the Higher Education Coordinator at USAID. Chayva graduated from Wellesley in 2011 as well. Her degree was in Middle Eastern Studies and Linguistics & Cognitive Science. I missed Amanda and Chavya by a few months as I began studying at Babson in August of 2011.

In other BOW-related summer happenings, I learned my boss's boss grew up in Wellesley, MA. He knew Roger Babson who paid him to memorize and recite Bible verses. I was able to connect with Babson Professor Stephen Deets in Washington, D.C. Four years earlier in my second semester at Babson, Professor Deets interviewed me for Babson's Honors Program to which I was accepted. Professor Deets connected me to a Babson Alumni, Jacklyn Lussier, who earned a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown's prestigious School of Foreign Service. It was especially significant to me to meet a Babson Alum who used her graduate degree to pursue a non-business subject in public policy.

Left: My boss' boss, Dave Ferguson, sports a decorated "Lab-coat" at the All-Lab Retreat. I helped to decorate the coat. Upper Right: The entire Lab rallies around the two remaining finalists of the classic rock-paper-scissors tournament at the All-Lab Retreat. Lower Right: I shared a happy hour with Honors Program proponents, Babson Professor Stephen Deets and Jacklyn Lussier BS '09.