“…the gifts of my education – a unique combination of language proficiencies, proven ability to think independently and willingness to take risks…”
Meet Pui Shen! She recently graduated from a top liberal arts college – Middlebury College – situated in Vermont (the land of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream). She read International Politics and Economics and is fluent in Portuguese. Pui Shen is also currently working on establishing a social protection monitoring system in Yemen as a consultant with the UNDP. Check out what she has to say about her liberal arts college education experience in Middlebury!
As a graduate, how has your US education benefitted you?
An American liberal arts college education can take you in the most unexpected of directions. Picking up Portuguese ‘for fun’ in my freshman year, I went to Brazil twice to conduct independent research for my senior thesis in International Politics and Economics, fully funded by the college. Unlike some institutions where senior work is just a means to an end, my professors pushed me further, challenging me to make a valuable academic contribution. Today, the gifts of my education – a unique combination of language proficiencies, proven ability to think independently and willingness to take risks – have directly impacted my career path. I am currently a consultant at the United Nations’ Development Programme in Brasilia and will be transitioning to a Princeton in Latin America fellowship in São Paulo this October. My Middlebury education gave me the freedom and the courage to dream differently, and the tools to achieve those dreams.