California DECA alumnus Anagha Vaidhyanathan has recently been named one of just forty fellows of the Madeline Korbel Albright Institute for Global Affairs, which prepares women for positions of global leadership. Vaidhyanathan was a member of Monta Vista DECA in Cupertino, California, and served as the 2006 – 2007 California DECA State President. California DECA congratulates Anagha for her outstanding achievements as she Faces the Future in California DECA’s 60th anniversary year.
Anagha Vaidhyanathan is a senior at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachussets. Vaidhyanathan’s participation in the institute began with an intensive course this January, where she took lessons from various international relations and public policy experts, including former U.S. Secretary of State Albright, a member of the Wellesley College class of 1959, who served as the institute’s distinguished visiting professor. This summer, Judd will participate in a Wellesley-funded internship in the United States or abroad, applying what she has learned in a real-life setting.
“Global issues must be tackled at local levels, starting with an exchange of ideas and collaboration, which is why I am so enthusiastic about participating in the Albright Institute,” she said. “I am eager to spend time with and learn from such a diverse group of students, each with her own passion, goals, and innovative ideas.”
Vaidhyanathan, an economics major, serves as president of the Wellesley Association of South Asian Culture and as a student representative on the Investment Committee. She works as a research assistant at Harvard Business School, and previously served as a global wealth management intern and institutional equities analyst at Morgan Stanley. She studied abroad at the London School of Economics.
In January 2010, Wellesley College launched the Albright Institute to educate women to fulfill leadership positions, to strengthen the role of women in international relations and to inform policy discussions and academic thought in global affairs.
“The Wellesley women of the future have to understand how today’s global challenges are connected,” Albright said.” The institute will adopt an interdisciplinary approach to give these women leaders the tools they need to deal with the most pressing issues.”
The institute combines the academic resources of Wellesley, the research capabilities of the Wellesley Centers for Women and the insights of global leaders. It draws on faculty from across the liberal-arts disciplines and alumnae in fields ranging from government to conservation to social entrepreneurship. By combining academic theory with real-life perspectives, the program cultivates a new understanding of global issues.
This year’s crop of Albright Fellows hail from 12 countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Ghana, Israel, Hungary, Japan, Nepal, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom, United States and Zimbabwe.
“I can imagine one day, you will be sitting across the table from each other, negotiating on opposite sides, for your governments, for your organizations, for your causes,” Albright told the inaugural class. “But you will know how to talk to each other. Most importantly, how to listen to each other.”
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,300 undergraduate students from all 50 states and 75 countries.
To read the official announcement from Wellesley College go here.