BOLD WLN Spotlight Series: Middlebury College
The BOLD Women's Leadership Network is making an important impact on Middlebury's campus and beyond. Created in 2016, Middlebury College was one of the first organizations to become a part of the BOLD Women’s Leadership Network. Since its inception, it’s taken a new shape over the past couple of years. In addition to the traditional BOLD Scholar program, it houses another adjacent program, the BOLD School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) program.
Like all of our BOLD campuses, Middlebury Scholars are eligible to apply for a Magic Grant, a process where Scholars ideate and propose an idea to receive money to execute transformative projects. Examples of some of these projects from Scholars at Middlebury include Thrive, a survival guide for Middlebury students, made by Middlebury students, which addresses issues and concerns felt by peers during the transition period of entering college. It consolidates resources, placing physical and mental wellness at the forefront. This is often overlooked and not prioritized by college students, but is so important for their long term success.
“The BOLD program at Middlebury focuses on facilitating opportunities for women’s career development and networking through scholarships, programming, and postgraduate fellowships. In the spirit of Helen Gurley Brown, the program equips young women to be innovative agents of change in whatever respective field or industry they decide to pursue.”
Pre-professional development is a large focus of the BOLD program. At Middlebury, resources and events strive to prepare students as best as possible for employment post graduation. All Scholars who graduated in May of 2022 at Middlebury, within the 5th cohort, have found employment after graduating, largely due to the support and preparation done beforehand. Some are participating in BOLD fellowships at places they have interned previously, while others are beginning jobs at new companies. Three recent graduates are pursuing one-year postgraduate BOLD Fellowships, effecting positive change and gaining experience in their fields of interest.
The School of Leadership, Afghanistan (SOLA) was established by a Middlebury alumna, Shabana Basij-Rasikh, in 2016, as Afghanistan’s first all-female boarding school. However, in 2021, in response to political turmoil which displaced thousands, the school was forced to close its doors and relocate to Rwanda. Together with the Foundation, Middlebury sponsored 8 young women from the SOLA school to provide full, 4-year scholarships to attend the college. True to the spirit of other BOLD programs, BOLD SOLA focuses on building an opportunity for Scholars to thrive irrespective of their background. The two programs, though distinct, receive and utilize the same resources, creating a cultural immersion on both ends. Scholars are able to learn from and grow with one another, allowing for a uniquely special experience for all. The new BOLD Lead, Smita Ruzicka has also been instrumental in continuing these important efforts.
The Middlebury BOLD Women’s Leadership Network program is a model for global empowerment. We are so proud of the Scholars and excited to see what they achieve moving forward! You can read more about Middlebury’s BOLD program here.