Elizabeth Bennett, MALD 08, USA

“As a human rights activist, it was important for me to attend a school that supported an interdisciplinary approach to global poverty issues. At Fletcher, I can dialogue with military fellows, returned peace corps volunteers, economists, lawyers and citizens from all over the world. The diversity of their perspectives challenges me to understand familiar issues in new ways and to be mindful of the complexity of the problems facing our global community.”

"The Fletcher classroom has no walls-- some of my best ‘classes’ have been on hiking trails, long car rides, shared walking commutes, via group email or over drinks in Davis Square. Wherever there are Fletcher students gathered, learning will take place.”

"There is a sense that we are all working toward a common goal here—students celebrate each other's academic successes, share resources, provide feedback, and work as a team. I rely on the experiences and expertise of my classmates and in turn offer them whatever knowledge I can. Whether we are preparing for a midterm exam, figuring out how to tackle a difficult essay question, attempting to synthesize assigned reading or solving a problem set, we know we can count on each other for support and insight.”

Education before Fletcher:

BA, Spanish & Education, Hope College

Fields of Study:

International Political Economy; Development Economics and Certificate in International Development (Political and Social Change)

Experience before Fletcher:

Institute for Collaborative Education, New York, NY;
Cuernavaca Center for Intercultural Dialogue on Development, Cuernavaca, Mexico

Languages:

English;
Spanish

Summer Internship:

Office for Regional Sustainable Development
Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)