The Aydelotte Foundation is proud to announce its second cohort of Frank 5 Fellows. The Fellows are alums under age 30 from the worlds of journalism, startups, education, innovation, and public policy who will tell their stories across a variety of media. The Frank 5 program aims to demystify liberal arts education and spark conversation around the careers and life choices of actual liberal arts graduates. 

"I’m delighted to welcome this new cohort of Frank 5 Fellows," says Aydelotte Foundation Senior Associate Director Pam Shropshire. "I look forward to seeing how their stories spark conversations on a liberal arts education and I encourage anyone who has an interest in higher ed to check out their bios and engage with their personal stories."

Bridget Boakye '12 studied economics and education at Swarthmore and is a writer, activist, and entrepreneur. Raised in Ghana and the U.S., she is particularly interested in issues that draw on experiences, insights, and values from both Africa and the African Diaspora. She built her early career around education, business, and media in an effort to contribute to the development of her communities in the South Bronx and Ghana. 

Paloma Perez '14 studied political science and education at Swarthmore and is a policy and public health associate at Burness, a social change communications firm. She began her career by serving as a Running Start fellow in the office of U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii before transitioning to a full-time position for U.S. Rep. Marc Veasey of Texas. 

Lorenzo Ramirez '10 majored in biology and minored in art history at Swarthmore. Having now earned a Ph.D., he oversees the daily operations of the ALLIES in STEM Center, a home base for STEM students, tutoring, supplemental instruction, workshops, and community events. He advises and mentors multiple cohorts of undergraduates in career paths, academics, research, and scholarship opportunities, with a focus on motivating and supporting low-income and underrepresented STEM students. 

Riana Shah '14 majored in educational studies and sociology and anthropology at Swarthmore. An MBA candidate at MIT's Sloan School of Management, she is also the founder/CEO of Independent Thought & Social Action International, an education reform venture that works with school districts to implement critical thinking and youth-led social entrepreneurship in curricula. 

Dina Zingaro '13 studied religion and English literature at Swarthmore and is an associate producer at CBS's 60 Minutes, where she and her producer work as a team, pitching and producing stories. Her first job at CBS News was with the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley in the research department. She quickly found herself attracted to journalism, not only as the best continuing education, but also as a public service.

Together, the experiences of this cohort of Frank 5 Fellows reflect how a liberal arts education can help forge meaningful and creative professional paths. The College community is encouraged to come hear their stories and learn about the how they build their social networks at a panel at 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, in McCabe Library’s Popular Reading Room.