What does earning a Harvard degree mean to you?
It means a farm girl can graduate from Harvard and become a filmmaker! There is no handbook for how I ended up in the halls of Harvard. And there was no one walking Harvard Yard who ventured down the same path. All had different arrival times and departure locales.
Behind each student’s journey to Harvard was a unique life experience, a multi-generational mix of ages, passions, and professions. As a fellow student, you could be in the same class as a former CNN journalist like me — or in the company of a celebrated opera singer, an army veteran, a congressional aide, a Mayo Clinic transplant psychiatrist, or even a pro ice skater. There’s no educational experience like it!
What we all had in common was our willingness to work for our degree, proving ourselves in merit and grit. United in rigor, we all sought out a purposeful education surrounded by peers and professors who believed we all had something more to give this world with our words.
Describe a moment when you realized HES had changed your career opportunities or career path.
My Independent Study under Professor Elizabeth Ames gave me the confidence in my craft to finish my first novel, “The Get Girl“, a book inspired by my CNN career of getting people to share their stories in the best and worst of times. I had started the book after leaving behind the career of my dreams to support my growing family, wondering if I’d ever finish it between piles of laundry and carpool pickups. Thanks to the supportive listening sessions and editorial expertise of Professor Ames, I not only met but exceeded my writing goals. She cheered me on with wisdom and grace until I reached the final page — and then advised me as I wrote the prequel, “The Get List”, as my thesis.
What are you doing today that you never could have imagined you’d achieve before your time at HES?
I’m directing an independent documentary film, “In the Name of Green“, following EV-maker Rivian as it turns green pastures into green cars in rural Georgia. In the midst of writing my thesis, I landed the first interview with Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe as the company broke ground on its multi-billion-dollar plant on a farm that pre-dates the Civil War.
It’s been a longtime professional goal to direct a project that could breakdown barriers and build bridges between rural and urban Americans. That dream was reinvigorated by the protagonist in my novel who fearlessly pursued stories, searching for truth in a messy world. I recently held a private screening of early footage at SohoHouse-Austin during the SXSW film festival. I hope to have a premiere at Harvard’s Treehouse one day!
Describe your Extension experience in one word.
Ameritocracy. (An ideal American education where intellectual rigor is grounded in hard work, talent, and ability.)
