How Britney Wilson '08 Met the President
Faculty, students, and alumni could almost feel Britney Wilson ’08’s awe and enthusiasm leap off the front page of last week’s New York Times, where she was pictured shaking hands with President Obama at Barnard College’s commencement ceremony. So, how did Britney end up on stage, beaming her familiar, mega-watt smile and standing toe to toe with the President of the United States?
Faculty, students, and alumni could almost feel Britney Wilson ’08’s awe and enthusiasm leap off the front page of last week’s New York Times, where she was pictured shaking hands with President Obama at Barnard College’s commencement ceremony. So, how did Britney end up on stage, beaming her familiar, mega-watt smile and standing toe to toe with the President of the United States?
Britney, an aspiring doctor, was selected from among her peers in the Barnard Class of 2012, based on her academic performance and leadership, to present a Medal of Distinction to the president during the college’s commencement ceremony on May 15.
“Meeting President Obama was like a dream that seemed so impossible,” said Britney. “The best part about it was how charismatic he was. He smiled at me and told me I did a great job. He was genuinely interested.”
Britney, who majored in environmental science with a minor in Africana Studies, hopes to ultimately work with kids battling cancer. She credits her involvement with Kartwheels in Motion, an organization she was encouraged to volunteer with while at The Cambridge School of Weston, that provides support for children with developmental disabilities, as the trigger for her study and future interest.
“It was from my experience at CSW and my love of research while at Barnard, that I knew I wanted to work with kids dealing with cancer.”
In September, Britney will begin conducting biomedical research at Tufts University, and then she will apply to joint M.D. and Ph.D. programs, with the goal of being a physician conducting pediatric cancer research. She looks forward to returning to the Boston area and attending CSW events.
Britney says she is still gleaming from her experience on the Barnard podium with the President.
“I got in trouble for hugging him twice, but I couldn’t help it.”
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CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.