#waotm entry

[wellesleyunderground]

January #WAOTM is Michelle Lapointe ‘01 (@michlapointe)

Michelle Lapointe ’01 was busy in 2018. The Associated Press, the Miami Herald, Univisión, the Atlanta Journal Constitution, NBC News and Yahoo News all featured her work on behalf of immigrant families and children for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Immigrant Justice Project, based in Atlanta, Ga. 

She officially became a rock star attorney when Rolling Stone got in on the act in January 2019. Although Travis Scott beat her out for the cover, they do have one other thing in common besides being in the same issue of Rolling Stone. They both spend a lot of time on planes. Travis’ Yosemite video—viewed on YouTube over 12 million times—features him in a private jet. Michelle also spent most of last year, and the beginning of this year, flying around the country from Tennessee to Florida (not the nice part) to Mississippi to Louisiana (Jena not NOLA) to San Francisco to rural Georgia to El Salvador. Unlike Travis, Michelle is partial to Delta economy flights and long car drives.

More important than her recognition by the mainstream media last year, Michelle made a difference in the lives individuals and entire classes (aka class actions) of immigrants who came to the United States to work, go to school, and escape persecution. Most of this time was spent meeting with clients in immigration detention centers, trailer parks, and staying up past her bedtime to prepare federal court filings and get ready for depositions. She helped reunite families, protect journalists facing deportation, and ensuring that immigrant children have the right to their education.

She also made a difference in the lives of her family at home in Georgia. Her 5-year-old daughter knows that her mommy is a “community helper,” just like the firefighters she hears about in pre-kindergarten, or like RBG depicted in her children’s book that Michelle frequently reads to her. Like the firefighters, her mommy rescues people too. Her almost 3-year-old son is beginning to understand what mommy does on her frequent work trips. He loves firefighters, so we’re working on that analogy with him too. Meanwhile, her dog just continues to eat socks, so she finds time to take him to the emergency vet on occasion between her work travels. Her husband reads all her news clippings and thanks her for helping rescue the country one family at a time.

Thank you to Michelle's husband Seth Kroop for this month’s submission.

[wellesleyunderground]

November 2018 #WAOTM: Malina Dumas ‘10

Thank you to EB Bartels ‘10 (@eb_bartels) for this month’s submission!

Malina Dumas is definitely the most badass lawyer in the state of Maine, perhaps in all of New England, maybe even in the entire United States of America, and possibly the whole world?! 

Malina graduated with her J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law in spring 2018, and passed the Maine bar exam in the fall to become a 100% official real lawyer. (Her swearing in ceremony was on October 12, 2018!) That by itself is pretty impressive, but Malina is more than pretty impressive. She is outright amazing. During her time in law school, Malina chose to focus on legal issues that impact Indigenous groups in the U.S. and Canada, particularly in the Arctic region. She was a Hazleton Fellow at the University of Washington, assisting with researching and drafting the 2016 and 2017 Arctic Law and Policy Year and Review, plus she worked on the Washington International Law Review. Malina was a summer law clerk at the Navajo Nation Department of Justice, she was an Arctic Fellow in the International Policy Institute at the Jackson School, and she also volunteered with the Refugee Assistance Program. She speaks English, Russian, German, French, Romanian, and, in law school, she got a grant to study Inuktitut. DO YOU KNOW ANYONE ELSE WHO SPEAKS INUKTITUT???? Oh, and, casual, she also has a Masters from Georgetown in Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, she did a Fulbright in Moldova, and she was an Albright Institute Fellow. NO BIG DEAL.

So, clearly Malina's LinkedIn profile is out of control, and I feel smarter by my association with her alone (we were two of three Russian language and literature majors in the class of 2010 -- shout out to Joan Buck who was number three!) but more than that, in addition to all her crazy impressive credentials and the fact that she is super smart (did you SEE how many languages she speaks???), Malina is kind, extraordinarily empathetic, and has an unwavering sense of right and wrong. She uses her skills to help marginalized groups and people in need. She truly embodies the Wellesley motto Non Ministrari sed Ministrare. 

 In summary: Malina better be Secretary of State one day. 

[wellesleyunderground]

October 2018 #WAOTM is Hannah Ellenson ‘08

Shelly Anand ‘08 and Hannah Ellenson ‘08 in Jerusalem in 2009.

I’m nominating my best friend Hannah Ellenson ‘08 for Wellesley Alum of the Month (WAOTM) because she is one of the best things I got out of my time at Wellesley. We met at orientation during our first week at Wellesley -- playing SHEpardy (remember the Sexual Health Educators?). Hannah was the leader of one team, I was the leader of the other, and she knew way more than I did about sexual health. We became instant friends and have built over 14 years of powerful friendship.

Hannah has dedicated her life’s work to social justice and finding peace in the Middle East, literally. She focuses on finding ways to support Palestinians and build relationships between Palestinians and Israelis. She is definitely no PEP (another term I learned from her, Progressive Except for Palestine). She has difficult conversations in the Jewish community about the rights of Palestinians and how the Jewish community needs to work towards a resolution with their Palestinian brothers and sisters.

She is also just a wonderful person. If anything, Hannah has taught me the importance of learning to say “no,” of knowing my limits, and while recognizing that there are many atrocities in the world, telling me it is not my job to solve them all.  She has taught me the importance of self-care and is always there to tell me that I’m enough, that there is nothing about me that I need to change, and that is ok to stop and rest.

Hannah and her amazing wife Becca are expecting their first child this winter (Becca should be awarded best Wellesley spouse of the year-- just don’t tell my husband Eric because he is in competition for this coveted title). I am so excited for Hannah and Becca to start this next chapter. Hannah is already an amazing caregiver to everyone in her life (as her mother Jackie said when we noticed this in her our first year at Wellesley, “it’s her way”). This little baby couldn’t ask for more amazing parents.

I”m so proud of Hannah and the amazing woman that she is --- she is changing the world not just through her advocacy and commitment to finding a democratic resolution for Israelis and Palestinians, but also in her advocacy and commitment to those that she cares about and loves --- telling us that we are amazing just the way we are. I love you Hannue. --- Shelly 

Hannah and Meagan [Froemming] Harmon ‘08 in Jerusalem in 2006. 

Hannah, Meagan and Shelly in 2010.

Sitting down to write this, I thought it would be easy to put into words exactly what Hannah means to me and why she is such an incredibly deserving Wellesley Alum of the Month. But, like you’d expect from a friendship of 14 years (I think Shelly actually introduced me to Hannah the day after they met), there are so many moments to choose from and so many ways I’ve seen Hannah influence the lives of those around her that it is basically impossible to decide where to begin. I could write about how hearing Hannah talk Middle East politics our first year at Wellesley opened my eyes to traditions that I’ve come to fiercely love and to corners of the world I’d never imagined I’d see, but that now feel as much like home to me as Shabbat dinner at Hannah’s house did that first Fall Break. Or I could go on and on about Hannah’s sense of humor or her charm, or the hours we spent laughing together at Wellesley and beyond, often to the point of tears, which are some of my most precious memories.

But what I think is most important that you know about Hannah is her ability to bring out the best in those she loves. She inspires me and everyone around her to be the best versions of ourselves: to be interested and engaged and open to the world with all its possibilities, its joys. and its losses. She isn’t afraid to get real or share hard truths, but she does it with gentleness and, above all else, with empathy.

I was so excited when Hannah told me she and Becca are expecting. Having just had a baby myself, I knew Hannah was going to be amazing at the motherhood thing and I couldn’t wait to see her in action...the baby isn’t here yet, but, man, amazing doesn’t even come close to describing her as a mama. Seeing Hannah’s love for her family grow exponentially as she enters this new season of life is beautiful. She has navigated each change, each new feeling (and they’re all new with a first pregnancy!), each tough moment and each celebratory one, with a calmness and grace that is not at all surprising coming from her, but which is inspiring all the same.

Hannah advocates for causes she is passionate about in her professional life, she advocates for her friends and their happiness in her personal life, and now, seeing her advocate for her family in this new role of mother, I feel even luckier to have her on my side. Hans, thank you for all you do.

Thank you to Shelly and Meagan for this month’s WAOTM nomination.

Want to nominate your Wellesley Bestie for WAOTM? You can do it here or email us at [email protected].

[wellesleyunderground]

August 2017 #WAOTM is Ginny Bouvier ‘80

Thank you to Rebecca Turkington ‘12 (@rcturk) for this month’s submission and this beautiful obituary for an amazing Wellesley woman that our community recently lost.

(photograph source can be found here)

There's a group of alums I often call "secret Wellesleys"; badass people I come across who I later find out, from some event bio or side conversation, went to Wellesley. Dr. Virginia Bouvier was one of those alumnae I'd admired for years, and when I finally scrolled to the bottom of her bio and saw she had been the first ever Latin American Studies major at Wellesley in 1980, I thought, "Of course." Ginny passed away suddenly this past weekend, and though she hasn't been part of the pantheon of Wellesley heroes, many of us who work on gender, peacebuilding, or Latin America policy would agree she deserves to be.

Dr. Bouvier headed the Colombia work of the US Institute for Peace, and her expertise was well-known across DC and the globe. When my office began a research project on the Colombian peace process, she was our first call, and she gave generously of her time and energy, excited we were shining a spotlight on the work of women in civil society. She was famous in DC and Colombia for being an influential thinker and activist at the top of her field, but used her platform to give voice to those at the grassroots, traveling back and forth to Bogota for decades to help train and support women peacebuilders. In recognition of her efforts, she was among a small group of foreign guests invited to attend the signing ceremony for the Colombia peace accords. As USIP wrote, the agreement signed last September was "unprecedented in its inclusion of victims, women and minorities, due in no small part to Ginny’s unrelenting support and advice to so many of those involved.”

(source) Ginny Bouvier in Colombia on Aug 24, 2016, celebrating peace deal with Farc rebels with representatives of the Network of Women Mediators

Ginny worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make peace a reality in Colombia, ensuring marginalized communities had a voice in the final accords. She was a resource for scholars, NGOs, policymakers and civil society activists, yet rarely took credit for the work she did. Hers was a critical voice during a time of transition for Colombia, and her loss will be felt deeply.

(Another anecdote from her Wellesley days is that she accidentally caused the entire campus word processing system to crash the night before senior theses were due. Apparently everyone got an extension, "which made me a hero in some circles and a villain in others," she said in a commencement address at William & Mary.)

You can read United States Institute of Peace’s obituary for Ginny Bouvier here.

Know an amazing Wellesley alum? Nominate them for Wellesley Alum of the Month (#WAOTM) here or email us with your submission at [email protected].

[wellesleyunderground]

The July 2017 #WAOTM is Kayla M. Patrick ‘10 (@kaylamichele26)

Thank you to Makkah Ali ‘10 (@MsMakkah) for this month’s submission. 

My WAOTM is Kayla Patrick, a fierce and hard-working Wellesley Woman who has used her degrees from Wellesley and Columbia to ensure that every child, regardless of circumstance, has access to the opportunities, support, and resources that she had. Kayla does this in many ways. She does this when she counsels parents about how to advocate for their children's needs, when she writes articles breaking down education policy into digestible pieces, and when she conducts and shares months of research about the experiences of marginalized girls in schools across America. Professionally, she has served as a campaigner, teacher, school administrator, writer, researcher, and advocate. Personally, she has served as a confidant, cheerleader, and has gone the extra mile to make sure those around her have what they need to succeed. Kayla embodies everything that I aim to be: passionate, unrelenting, empathetic, and committed to the pursuit of justice, no matter what. She is both #BlackGirlMagic and a #WomanWhoWill. Kayla is a thoughtful friend, sister, daughter, and aunt and enriches the lives of everyone she knows through her humor, curiosity, and deep love. For all these reasons and more, she is my Wellesley Alum of the Month.

Have an alum you would like to see as WAOTM? You can submit your choice for WAOTM here.

[wellesleyunderground]

#ThisIsLeadership: Recognizing Everyday Wellesley Warriors

Since 2009, Wellesley Underground has been dedicated to highlighting alumnae stories of success and struggle to both complement and counter the pervasive and singular narrative of what is viewed as successful in the culture of Wellesley.  As a group of alums stated last year in an open letter to President Paula Johnson, Wellesley alums “are activists, leaders, volunteers, educators, caregivers, storytellers, whistle-blowers, and innovators. Some of us are parents, some of us are partners, and some of us construct our lives in other ways. Despite these myriad roles, the one thread that connects us is our time at Wellesley and the principles that we carry together.”

One of the first series we started here at Wellesley Underground was the Wellesley Alum of the Month (#WAOTM) series. While the college officially gives accolades to those who garner national and international attention for politics, business, finance, or academia via the Alumnae Achievement Awards, we wanted to create a space to highlight amazingly accomplished alumnae who would not traditionally garner the attention of the College. The #WAOTM are everyday Wellesley Warriors like Shayla Adams ‘08, who started a nonprofit that helps girls of color find a path to college as first generation college students. Or Amita Rao ‘05, an HR specialist, who has served the Wellesley Community online by providing alumnae with advice on job applications and a toolkit for asking for raises. And then there are alumnae like Jenny Ross ‘00, a physics professor at UMass Amherst who is dedicated to encouraging women to enter the sciences, and Tuck Rosebrock ‘10, a transgender alum who wrote this beautiful essay on his experience at Wellesley as a transman while the College was reconsidering its gender admission policy. These alumnae represent only a fraction of Wellesley College graduates making a difference in the world today.

You can therefore imagine how THRILLED we were here at Wellesley Underground when the college reached out to collaborate on the #ThisIsLeadership campaign (and we loved the shout out in last weeks’ email from the college! Thank you, Dr. Johnson!). One of the reasons we started WU was to see the College and the Wellesley alumnae community challenge the notion that we all need to fit under a certain mode of success to be making a difference.

To that end, Wellesley Underground and the Wellesley Alumnae Association want you to nominate an alum who you think is a leader in their community, in their career, in their family, or wherever they are. By nominating an alum of your choice, you will be helping the overall Wellesley community redefine and expand the the definition of what it means to be a leader. To nominate a Wellesley alum for the #ThisIsLeadership initiative, simply go to this form and put in the name of your nominee and why you think they are a leader. While you are at it, go ahead and nominate the same alum for the #WAOTM series by using this form! At every level, there is a leader that paves and guides the way. We're excited to learn more about and share our alums!

[wellesleyunderground]

September 2019 #WAOTM is Cleo Hereford ‘09 (@cleo87), Editor of the Wellesley Underground #SelfCareSeries

Thanks to Shloka Ananthanarayanan ‘08 (@shlokes), Editor of the Wellesley Reviews, for this month’s submission! We love seeing the WU editor love!

Cleo is simply awesome. As the editor of Wellesley Underground’s Self-Care Series, she consistently produces articles brimming with excellent advice and tips and tricks that are invaluable to getting through your day. Recently, when a bunch of WU editors were discussing workplace struggles, she was able to point us to an article on how to take care of ourselves and not let a toxic work environment bring us down. As if consistently producing excellent articles for her own series wasn’t enough, Cleo never hesitates to help out her fellow editors with their series. She has cheerfully contributed to WU Reviews multiple times. 

Cleo embodies the best of Wellesley. Smart, kind, making time for self-care but still also going above and beyond to help others with her writing and advice. She may be a self-professed introvert, but through her work and kindness, Cleo helps more people than any extrovert I know. 

[wellesleyunderground]

For the April 2019 #WAOTM, we mourn the loss of human rights lawyer Tejshree Thapa ‘88

Photo obtained from obituary on the Human Rights Watch website.

On March 26, 2019, the world lost a human rights champion. Tejshree Thapa (’88) dedicated her career to exposing violations against political rights and civil liberties in crises and conflicts across the globe, including in the Balkans, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. She was an advocate with expertise in human rights law, post-conflict justice, and reparations mechanisms, with keen knowledge of domestic and international politics. She worked to expose and bring to justice perpetrators of horrific crimes when she served at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the office of the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women.

She spent over 15 years working for Human Rights Watch (HRW), where she conducted research and extensive interviews with survivors to shed light on human rights abuses and working to hold those responsible accountable. She was a noted expert on the civil wars in Sri Lanka and Nepal, where she documented sexual violence and torture. She raised flags about the abhorrent practices of enforced disappearances and the high levels of impunity perpetrators of unspeakable violence enjoyed. Her most recent work for HRW involved traveling to the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar in fall 2017, at the height of the latest round of brutal attacks against the Rohingya Muslim community by Myanmar’s military. Thapa’s documentation of the violations were among the first credible accounts showing how the violence was systematic and endemic.

Her impact in the human rights community – and globally – will be lasting.

Read more about Tejshree’s human rights work on the Human Rights Watch website: https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/03/27/human-rights-watch-mourns-loss-tejshree-thapa