Vista • Spring 2011 • Volume 16 • Number 1


From Here to Harvard Law
by Magdalena Georgieva '10


MHC provides the absolute best preparation for a prestigious legal career or, for that matter, any other career. Students are challenged to think critically across disciplines and speak their minds. From their first semester to their last, they debate ideas, conduct independent research, and pursue their passions. It’s an education—and an environment—that shapes leaders and opens doors to high-profile opportunities and influential futures.


Brooke Daniels ’07, Becky Ding ’09, Katie Kraschel ’06, and Allison Trzop ’04 never met during their Mount Holyoke years. Now, at Harvard Law, they’ve come together to support each other as they study at one of the most competitive law schools in the U.S.


The four agree that Mount Holyoke prepared them to succeed—and excel. From the broad scope of the curriculum to a setting where expectations are high, they are beneficiaries of the distinctive advantages offered by an MHC education.


Among those advantages is the ethos of exploration at the heart of MHC’s liberal arts curriculum. “Students try new things and refine their voice,” said Kraschel, a biochemistry major who now studies health law, with an interest in assisted reproductive technology law. She advises prospective Mount Holyoke students to “really take advantage” of this dynamic. “Stretch yourself because it is the ideal space to do so,” she said.  


“I craved that broader scope of science,” said Kraschel, tracing how her interest in law first emerged. As an undergraduate, she took courses such as biomedical anthropology that expanded her vision of the sciences and provided new approaches to problem solving that she now applies to law. What drew her to Harvard Law, Kraschel realizes, was the diversity of the courses she was exposed to at Mount Holyoke.


Ding, a first-year law student, likewise believes that exploring multiple disciplines at Mount Holyoke is what led her to Harvard. In her first year at MHC, she focused on math courses. She then decided to branch out and take courses that challenged her to think in new ways. She studied social sciences and art, took singing lessons, and, ultimately, majored in math and history. During her junior year, Ding designed an independent study project, applying statistics to data from discrimination cases. That experience led to a legal research internship, which, in turn, sparked her interest in law.
Another distinctive advantage is the rich critical-thinking skills that students develop as they study a broad range of subjects. Throughout the curriculum, correlations are made between seemingly distant subjects, allowing students to gain unique perspectives.


The environment not only encourages individuality, but also gives direction, said Trzop, who is focusing on intellectual property and copyright at Harvard Law. “I had a very loud voice but at Mount Holyoke I learned what it was I wanted to say.”


“Mount Holyoke is where I figured out that finance was in my future,” said Daniels, who is pursuing a joint degree offered by Harvard Business School and Harvard Law School. “I caught the economics bug during a first-year seminar at MHC. Then the Career Development Center connected me with an alumna at Goldman Sachs who offered me a summer internship. A second summer internship at Lehman Brothers led to a full-time job. Now my long-term goal is to apply the skills I've acquired through the law degree with the business management skills from my M.B.A. studies to be a successful leader in a major corporation.”


“An MHC liberal arts education offers a complex understanding of the world,” Daniels added. “Your classroom experience is complimented by opportunities for research, internships, study abroad, and community-based learning. Your academic work comes alive and you grow in incredible ways.”


The four alumnae also value having spent their undergraduate years among intelligent, inspiring women from around the globe. “The sense of community was powerful,” said Trzop. “And it has come with me to Boston via MHC’s alumnae network.” Trzop remains in awe of the tremendous bond between those who share the same passions. “I treasure and cultivate those relationships.”


Within Boston, there is a large contingent of Mount Holyoke women spanning different generations. Daniels, Ding, Kraschel, and Trzop are amazed at how quickly these alumnae open their doors and offer help when needed. “I never knew I could have such close friendships with women who graduated in the 70s,” said Kraschel. “It is such a rich connection—you have to experience it.”


One particular alumna who has reached out to the four is Ellen Cosgrove ’84, dean of students at Harvard Law School. They say that Cosgrove’s warmth played a key role in their decisions to enroll at Harvard. Then, once they were on campus, Cosgrove made sure they got acquainted.


Not surprisingly, upon meeting they instantly clicked. Each is ambitious, committed to making a difference in the world, and—having spent four years at Mount Holyoke—knows firsthand what women’s leadership is all about. They also know that Mount Holyoke alumnae are women you can count on, whether navigating the landscape of Harvard Law or anywhere else in life.


Mount Holyoke College • Vista 

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