Beaver Reflections:
I graduated in 1993 and loved my time there. I entered Beaver in my sophomore year from the public school system, and it was a huge cultural shock. There was a focus on individualized learning and personalized attention which was beneficial in my education. Beaver had a strong artistic component to the school, and it was great that there were other activities besides just sports. Mr. McCarthy, my science teacher, was very influential in my life. He loved to travel and would always tell his students stories about his trips. He was an amazing storyteller and always made class enjoyable. His stories encouraged me to travel and explore the world.

What is #happeningnow in your life:
After Beaver, I went to NYU and studied abroad in Austria. I got an internship during college in foreign affairs, which led to getting my master’s at the London School of Economics. I lived in Europe and spent over a decade in France working in public health. I worked for the World Health Organization, which was a fantastic experience, and I’ve lived in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia, helping international organizations tell their stories. I had kids in Europe then moved back to the U.S. to work for an organization that researches neglected tropical diseases. These diseases are traditionally not covered by the current pharmaceutical model because it doesn’t make the producers a lot of money. I’ve worked on the Ebola epidemic and now most of my work is to improve access to essential medicines.

“I hope people’s acute understanding of global health [due to Covid] will make them more sensitive to other diseases in other areas.”
– Ilan Moss ’93

Advice to Beaver students:
Take advantage of Boston. The city has so much to offer. There are great opportunities in so many different industries.