Meet Tehreem Waqas Mela ’20, who came to Mount Holyoke from Lahore, Pakistan. A politics and studio art major, Tehreem was drawn to Mount Holyoke due to its commitment to international students. Tehreem is a campus leader, serving as a SAW mentor, a liaison for the Muslim Students Association, and assuming leadership roles in the Five College Model United Nations XI, Pakistani Students for Change, and the MHC Model United Nations team.  

“Mount Holyoke's commitment to international students and their representation really drew me in. I have recently started to realise how empowered I am to be an agent of change in my community in college, and to carry those skills with me in my life.”

Meet Tatiana Staco FP'18, who came to Mount Holyoke from Brooklyn, New York. A psychology and speech pathology major, Tatiana uses her skills to support others as the chair of Hope of Haiti, a student organization that provides awareness of the Haitian culture to the Mount Holyoke and Pioneer Valley communities and provides support to a school in Pernier, Haiti. Tatiana has taken full advantage of her Mount Holyoke education as a Frances Perkins scholarship recipient. She was able to use Lynk funding to pursue an internship at the University of Toledo, Ohio working with patients with aphasia, a language disorder affecting people with brain damage. Inspired by this work, Tatiana created a self-designed major to pursue her passion in speech pathology. When she graduates in December, Tatiana looks to continue her studies and plans to earn a doctorate in speech pathology.  

“One thing I love about MHC is the power of the students.The fact that the administration offers students the opportunity to be engaged with policy at this school will never cease to amaze me. During my time with the Academic Priorities Committee, I actually had the opportunity to shape the curriculum and get a bird’s-eye view of the direction of the College. Other students participate in Senate and effect actual change. I’ve heard this from transfer students more than anyone, that other schools don’t allow students this level of autonomy or agency, and I’m grateful that Mount Holyoke gives us that autonomy.” — Eleanor Springer ’17

Meet Kaila Cantens ’17, a philosophy and environmental studies major from Stroudsburg, PA. At Mount Holyoke, Kaila participated in Model UN and the Philosophy Society. In her first semester at Mount Holyoke, Kaila found a home on the Ice Hockey team, where she was nurtured and supported by her teammates. She now serves as the captain of the Ice Hockey team, supporting and empowering first-years and new players to become a part of the team. Kaila used Lynk funding for an internship in Washington, D.C., where she served as a legislative intern for U.S. Senator Robert P. Casey. Through this internship, Kaila was able to observe the inner workings of government, and learned how influential the media can be in shaping the public's opinion and grasp of politics. Through this internship, she also was able to identify what motivates and inspires her in a professional setting. After she graduates in May, Kaila plans to work and study abroad and travel the world to learn about different cultures.

Meet Marwa Mikati ’17, who came to Mount Holyoke from Beirut, Lebanon. A double major in neuroscience and behavior as well as mathematics, Marwa has found her voice as a student leader on campus, serving as the president of both the Student Government Association and the Model United Nations. Connecting her academic work with her career aspirations, Marwa used Lynk funding to pursue an internship working on drug development for malaria at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. A key component of The Lynk is guaranteed funding for all students to pursue one internship or research experience during their academic careers. Marwa’s success in this initial internship resulted in a paid internship the following year. When she graduates in May, Marwa will return to that same research lab as she prepares for medical school. She plans to pursue graduate degrees in medicine and public policy and intends to run for public office.  

At Mount Holyoke, we see the transformative power of investing in women on a daily basis. For generations, women from all around the globe have found their voices, discovered their passions, realized their dreams, and stretched their perceptions of what is possible at Mount Holyoke.

For the last three years, Alizeh Zaman has been trying on possible careers for size. The Mount Holyoke College senior from Rawalpindi, Pakistan, now aims for a career in public policy. But she didn’t start out that way.

Zaman came to MHC already interested in her eventual major fields, economics and mathematics. But one book assigned in an introductory anthropology course—The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down—drew her also to anthropology and to an interest in the book’s topic, Vietnam’s ethnic minority Hmong people.

“I could never have imagined then that, through Mount Holyoke, I would have the opportunity to learn more about the Hmong tribe in Vietnam,” she said.