Beaver Alumni Panel

In January, the Parent Association hosted a panel featuring the following Beaver alumni:

• Helen Lockhart ’83 – Biotechnology Patent Attorney at Wolf, Greenfield & Sacks
• Dave Berman ’02 – Intex Solutions Financial Analyst
• Yaritza Pena ’07 – Board Member at Boston Cultural Council; Merchandiser for Fashion Project
• Max Campion ‘09 – Founder and Mobile App Developer of Campion Designs, LLC

The panel offered candid thoughts on how Beaver prepared them for their work lives, skills needed to compete in today’s marketplace, and advice for current students and families. They offered surprisingly similar thoughts and important insights, such as:

• At Beaver they were encouraged to be flexible, move beyond their comfort zones by taking risks, and learn how to collaborate with others— that approach has well equipped them to deal with today’s rapidly evolving world.
• Successful leaders today know how to gain and apply knowledge, solve problems, and adapt to constant change — skills Beaver emphasizes.
• Parents can prepare their students by encouraging them to explore all of their interests and to try new activities.

The panel is excited about Beaver’s coding initiative, the new spaces, and fresh appearance of campus, and its vision for educating tomorrow’s leaders. All panelists developed enduring close friendships with other Beaver students that they remain close to today, despite having attended separate colleges.

See below for more information on their individual responses.

Q. How did Beaver prepare you?

• I came to Beaver in the 7th grade from Brookline Public Schools. At Beaver I learned who I was as a student, and I continue to apply those lessons learned to my life today. — Max ‘09
• The size of Beaver, in comparison to larger schools, is more comparable to most work environments today in which you are dealing with a variety of different personalities, forcing you to learn important skills for everyday life. — Dave ‘02
• Coming from a family of lawyers, I arrived knowing I wanted to be a lawyer. During my time at Beaver, however, I had an incredible exposure to science — back in the 80’s. Teachers were inspirational and encouraged women to explore science. I ended up earning a PhD in Biochemistry and Beaver was the driving force. Even though I eventually became a lawyer, I think having a technical degree is very helpful. — Helen ‘83
• Beaver forced me to take risks and try new things, which built my creative spirit. I’ve learned that in the startup world (where I now work). — Yaritza ‘07

Q. What qualities do you think today’s successful leaders need?

• Those who succeed or lead in today’s world thrive because of their ability to gain knowledge and solve problems. — Dave ’02
• The world is constantly changing so leaders need to have the ability to adapt and be flexible problem solvers. — Helen ’83
• The startup community changes over night and Beaver’s continued evolution is ahead of the curve with initiatives like coding. — Max ‘09

Q. How can parents prepare their students for the future?

• Encourage kids to try new things and take risks. — Yaritza ‘07
• Take the time to explore every interest. — Max ’09
• High school is a time for exploration. Try new things while in a safe environment. — Helen ‘83

Q. What are some not so obvious skills that kids need?

• Humility. You can’t be afraid to not know the answers and ask for help. — Yaritza ‘07
• Communication. — Helen ‘83
• Computer science coding approach/mentality allows you to solve problems, in so many different careers, in a new way. — Dave ‘02
• Passions outside of the classroom, like golf, helped me learn important organizational skills and maturity. — Max ‘09