In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: (Hometown) Istanbul, (current city) New York
House Affiliation: Pforzheimer
Concentration and Secondary Field: Social Studies, Magna cum laude. Senior thesis on Pathway for European Union membership of Turkey
Current Job Title/Company or organization: Chief Strategy Officer and President of Leather Goods at Ralph Lauren
What was your professional path after college?
10 years strategy consulting at Oliver Wyman, MBA at Kellogg School, 10 years at Coach in Corporate Strategy & Data Analytics (leading acquisition of Kate Spade and Stuart Weitzman and creation of Tapestry).
What fills your time now? Professionally and otherwise?
My job, Board member at Hershey, and mother to three boys (ages 8, 12, 15) and our rescue Puppy
What was a favorite class you took and why?
First year Social Studies Seminar because it opened an entire new world for me of philosophers and political scientists - things I did not have a chance to study in Turkey
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential?
Yes, extensively. My sophomore year, I spent in the German Parliament - the Bundestag through a scholarship; junior year, I spent the summer in Brussels researching and interviewing diplomats about the European Union. My research also took me to Greece to deep dive into the Greek-Turkish relations.
What were you involved in extracurricularly?
Model United Nations, and co-editor and published a magazine: Harvard Focus Europe
What is a favorite memory of Harvard House life?
One of the favorite memories is meeting my husband, Tom Schoenwaelder who was also class of 2000. We have been together 27 years!
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why?
Host families that are given to international families is one of my favorite traditions. My husband and I met through our host parents as they had taken both of us.
What advice do you have for someone applying to college?
To take advantage of all the new opportunities and perspectives they can gain at college. To explore broadly and deeply.