New Hampton School welcomed back four alumni to campus as part of our Alumni in Residence program in February. Chelsea Graham ’04, Alicia Hammond ’04, Tracy Wright ’04, and Marcel Johnson ’15 presented as a panel during school meeting with a focus on intersectionality, equity, and inclusion, each sharing a little about themselves before opening up the discussion for questions.
Connecting with students
Building foundations
Each of our panelists originated from a different background, representing a wide range of interests and cultures. They found commonalities in their time at New Hampton School, taking advantage of the diversity that the community provided, and expressing appreciation for their experiences here. Each cited that their time here provided a foundation from which their professional careers were launched.
Another point of inspiration came from their reflection on how, though they may not have been back since graduation (or only once or twice), they still felt a strong connection to their friends, faculty, staff, and school. For our students and alumni in the audience, it highlighted how you can always come back and reengage in new ways. It is always a great time to reconnect.
Gratitude and reconnection
Following school meeting, students broke into discussion groups by advisory to further expand on the topics presented. Throughout the remainder of the day, our alumni met with small groups including our Gender and Sexualities Alliance and our Brown, Black, Latino/a Affinity Group—both of which are student-run and directed organizations. They also meet with faculty and staff to wrap up their day, reconnecting with some of their own former teachers and friends.
Thank you to the Alumni Office and Student Life Office for their collaboration in putting together this program. The Alumni in Residence program offers an outlet for alumni to connect with current students, speaking to community experience, while also sharing wisdom, motivation, and inspiration. Past featured alumni include the Honorable Thomas J. Motley ’72, NASA Deputy Officer Rich Ryan ’83, artist and director Molly Schiot ’98, and other esteemed community members.
Questions about the Alumni in Residence program, or want to get involved? Please contact Katie Wardrop, Director of Alumni Relations.
About our panelists
Chelsea Graham ’04, DO
Chelsea is a primary care physician in Rhode Island where she works at a community health center and teaches residents at the Brown Family Medicine Residency. She takes care of a large LGBT community and teaches residents about transgender and gender diverse healthcare. She is also involved in global health work in Mexico, where she collaborates with Partners In Health. She is also active with medical students at Brown and co-facilitates anti-racism workshops. She earned a BS from Simmons College and attended medical school at Des Moines University in Iowa.
Alicia Hammond ’04
Alicia is a Gender Specialist at the World Bank Group, where she serves as the lead on innovation and technology. She has worked on research and analysis across a range of gender equality issues, including human endowments, economic opportunities, and voice and agency. Alicia joined the WBG from the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School where she managed strategic outreach initiatives and translated experimental gender equality research for non-academic audiences. She has also worked with UNICEF, the UN Foundation, and UN Women on many gender equality topics, such as education, innovation, and data. Prior to that, she worked on social development, gender equality, and human rights programs in her home country, Jamaica. She holds a Master’s degree from the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University and a Bachelor of Arts in International Development and French from Mount Holyoke College.
Tracy Wright ’04, JD/MBA
Tracy is an attorney with Laboratory Corporation of America, the World’s Leading Healthcare diagnostics company. In this role, she provides merger and acquisition due diligence on multi-million-dollar purchases and sales of healthcare providers, counsels the business on fraud and abuse laws, and advises management and senior sales on regulatory compliance. Tracy joined LabCorp from Blue Cross and Blue Shield NC where she negotiated administrative services agreements for hundreds of employee groups and provided legal guidance to the company on contractual relations and liability matters. Her prior experience also includes clerking for the Honorable Harriet Thompson in New York and internships with GlaxoSmithKline and Merz North America.
She is proud to have continued New Hampton School’s tradition of service in her career. Currently, she serves on the boards of the North Carolina Central University School of Law Alumni Association and the North Carolina Bar Association Corporate Counsel Committee.
Prior to obtaining her Juris Doctor and MBA from North Carolina Central University, Tracy was a litigation legal assistant with Davis Polk in New York City. She is originally from Brooklyn, NY and obtained her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. She currently resides in Durham, NC.
Marcel Johnson ’15
Marcel is originally from Massachusetts and graduated from New Hampton as a four-year senior. While at New Hampton, he was heavily involved in the performing arts, ran cross country, played JV Lacrosse, managed Varsity Lacrosse and Varsity A and B Basketball. He was the Senior Class President and served as a proctor in Galletly House. He attended Hobart and William Smith Colleges and double majored in Political Science & Spanish and minored in Entrepreneurial Studies. He held a number of leadership-level positions including class president, president of Sigma Chi fraternity, was a Student Ambassador for the Center of Global Education and held a number of jobs including peer tutor and mentor. He also worked in the Office of Human Resources. After graduating cum laude, he secured a position at Wellington Management, where he currently works as a business associate.
