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MND Grad Goes Around the World and Back
When Vanessa Beary, formerly of Montgomery, graduated from Mount Notre Dame in 2000, her teachers knew that she would go on to achieve great things. She was an extremely talented student and champion swimmer who was going to Brown University to pursue both passions. What they did not know was that talent and passion would take Vanessa around the world and back … literally. Recently, Vanessa returned to MND to share her amazing story as part of a speaker series offered by the school to the members of its Billiart Scholar Honors Program.
One of Vanessa’s former teachers, Mr. Bob Knollman of West Chester, remembers her as “a student who pushed herself and who had high, but realistic and attainable expectations for herself, but I don’t think even Vanessa herself would have predicted the path she would follow.”
Vanessa went to Brown excited to study history; , however, the lens she chose to visualize the past was through art. She earned a bachelor’s degree in history of art and Italian studies. As part of her program, Vanessa spent a year at the Universita di Bologna in Bologna, Italy, where all of her instruction was in Italian. Upon graduating with honors from Brown in 2004, Vanessa had the opportunity to return to Italy, this time to Venice, as a research assistant for an author. It was in Venice that Beary was inspired to learn Farsi and Arabic. She enrolled in an Arabic class; and, while that particular class wasn’t incredibly helpful (“All I ended up learning was the Arabic word for ‘ant,’” Vanessa laughs), it sparked a keen desire to continue her study of the language and culture. When her research for the book was finished, Vanessa was accepted into the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and began working on a master’s degree of philosophy in education. Her thesis was entitled The Role of Citizenship Education in Contemporary Afghanistan.
Ms. Beary graduated from Cambridge in 2006 and was hired as a Social Science Advisor for the Multi-National Corps and moved to Baghdad, Iraq. Her job was to plan and develop operational communications strategies in support of the Corps’ objectives. Vanessa worked directly with the U.S. Embassy and Iraqi Ministries to provide advice on media, public relations and communications issues to foster stability, stabilization and economic development.
In 2007, Vanessa was hired by the U.S. Department of State and relocated to Wasit, Iraq, as a Public Diplomacy Officer. In the year she spent in Wasit, the work Vanessa did made lasting differences in the region. Vanessa helped to organize the first apolitical, non-religious cultural event in Wasit since the fall of Saddam Hussein. She helped to integrate new teaching methodologies at the University of Wasit and was one of the first Americans to step foot onto that campus since the beginning of the Iraqi War. She established five internet centers within the city and secured more than $2.5 million in funding to be used for educational, cultural and media training projects.
“My time in Iraq was life-changing. It was incredibly rewarding, but I also saw things there that will never leave me,” Vanessa emotionally shared with the group of MND students. “My time there was incredible, but after 15 months, I was ready to come home.”
Earlier this year, Vanessa returned to the States and took a job on Capitol Hill as the Afghanistan Advisor for Congresswoman Jean Schmidt of Ohio’s 2nd District. “It was so cool to be able to relate my experiences abroad on The Hill,” she said.
If her resume wasn’t already impressive enough, Vanessa is currently enrolled in Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and is working on her doctorate in citizenship/civic education in newly-forming democracies, with a focus on post-Soviet Tajikistan.
Ms. Beary’s presentation was not limited to MND’s Billiart Scholars but was opened to all students. Even though she spoke on a Friday afternoon, Vanessa drew a crowd of more than 170 MND students. “The size of the audience here today is a testament to the commitment to academic excellence that MND fosters,” stated Academic Dean Mrs. Karen Day in her closing remarks.
Vanessa credits her Mount Notre Dame experience for much of her success because MND gave her such a strong foundation, both academically and as a person. So much so, she jumped at the chance to come back to Cincinnati and help inspire a new generation of empowered young women. “MND provided such a strong foundation. The support structure from my teachers and fellow students was amazing; and, when I got to college I was so far ahead of the game because I was comfortable with who I was.”
When asked why giving back to MND was so important to her, Vanessa said, “I want to spark excitement in the girls and I want to be part of what might inspire them because so many of my teachers and fellow students at MND inspired me. I wouldn’t be who I am without MND.”
Vanessa has once again succeeded. The students who heard her speak were incredibly impressed and proud of their fellow Cougar. MND freshman Emily How of Loveland, was definitely inspired by Vanessa’s story. “Vanessa is so accomplished and successful and young! I feel so lucky to have heard her story. She was truly an inspiration!”
Classmate Courtney Fasola also from Loveland agrees and feels so fortunate to be able to take part in the opportunities that MND’s Billiart Scholar Honors Program provides. “The speakers that I have been able to meet have shown me that hard work does pay off. They shed light on some of the career paths that are out there and the opportunities for success if you work hard at what you do.”
MND‘s current students aren’t the only ones proud of Vanessa. Mr. Knollman was thrilled to have his former student come back and share her story. “The fact that one of our students has accomplished so much is, I think, an endorsement of our academic program and just another example of the impressive work our grads are doing all around the world. Vanessa’s story speaks volumes about MND’s expectation that our students will understand the breadth of the world’s complexity and have a hand in making it a better place.”
Written By: clehrter
Date Posted: 12/11/2009 10:46 AM
Number of Views: 9033
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