Kassie Scott ’18 to Deliver Lecture as Part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program Scott’s talk, “More Than Money: My Journey so Far,” will be held on March 5 in Hillel 101.
Kassie Scott ’18Kassie Scott ’18, economic development manager for the City of Springfield, Ohio, will present a lecture titled “More Than Money: My Journey so Far” to the Washington and Lee University community at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5 in Hillel 101.
Scott is visiting W&L as part of the Class of 1963 Scholars in Residence Program, supported by The Shepard Program for the Interdisciplinary Study of Poverty & Human Capability and the departments of philosophy, politics, sociology and anthropology and English. In addition to her lecture, Scott will visit three classes and have a breakfast discussion during her campus visit.
“It’s humbling to be invited back to W&L to speak and share my experiences with current students,” said Scott. “W&L is the place where I developed my voice and my values. That commitment to integrity, fairness and honor is what guides me even still today. It’s clear to me that this university impacted my career decisions every step of the way.”
Scott’s lecture will share her experience as a low-income, first-generation college student and her journey thereafter, highlighting her achievements and setbacks. Scott will also reflect on her post-graduate journey, focusing on the different paths available and opportunities for exploration, especially coming from a liberal arts background. The talk will further emphasize the importance of following your values and finding work that matters.
“I hope that students walk away seeing all of this as possible for them if they pursue it with earnest effort and not just for money and material things alone,” said Scott. “My message might resonate with students whose backgrounds resemble my own. I hope those students feel empowered to challenge themselves and not to hold onto self-limiting beliefs.”
Scott earned a bachelor’s degree in English and sociology from W&L and a master’s degree in data science from the University of Oxford (U.K.). Following her time in Lexington, she worked at the Urban Institute, a leading think tank in Washington, D.C., and the District of Columbia government as a business development specialist. She also spent time working internationally in both Romania and Liberia.
“I believe Kassie’s talk will be interesting to current students because many of them are in the process of constructing a plan for their remaining time at W&L,” said Melina Bell, professor of philosophy and law at W&L. “Planning their coursework, co-curricular, extra-curricular and summer pursuits, they will be thinking about how to develop their character, relationships, skills and worldview to support a fulfilling and worthwhile future for themselves and others. Kassie’s scholarship, career trajectory and experiences, as well as all the lives she has touched, are a wonderful example of how a fulfilling and worthwhile life can be built. Kassie’s journey, including the challenges she navigated successfully in the course of her personal development, should serve as an inspiration to others whose journeys also involve a W&L education.”
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