Throughout the spring, we will be catching up with Kenmore West graduates who were a part of the first ever International Baccalaureate program at Ken-Ton. Check out our latest alumni update below.
Name: Hale Diamond
Graduation Accomplishments: Hale graduated from Kenmore West in 2013 with an IB Diploma and an Advanced Regents Diploma with Honors. She was also the varsity girls tennis captain and President of the Black History Club, now called the Multicultural Club.
Hale started preparing for the IB Program long before it began by enrolling in advanced classes starting in the 7th grade. She said taking part in the IB Program was a “no-brainer” but also acknowledged how difficult the coursework was.
On her time in IB, Hale said, “The math and physics courses were practically in another language. In a standard theater class, I did improv, but in IB theater, I studied Bunraku (Japanese puppet theater) and Antonin Artaud's Theatre of Cruelty. Ultimately, it showed me how much there is to know about the world and the satisfaction that can come with untangling the threads.”
When looking back, Hale also made sure to recognize the teachers and school administrators who worked extremely hard to implement the IB program. Because it was the first year of coursework for the teachers too, Hale recognized how important it was for the students and staff to work alongside together, since it felt like a “collaborative experiment”.
On how the IB program impacted her post high-school, Hale said, “Vanessa Scinta's vision for the IB program has set my life on a course that I'm humbled to be on. I'm grateful for every time she pushed me in English class to find a better word--a philosophy I try to live by to this day.”
College Life: Hale graduated from American University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications Studies. She also received a specialization in International Media and a minor in literature.
Post-College Journey: After graduating college, Hale was offered a full-time position through her internship for a trade association that lobbied for chemical products. She worked her way to Senior Manager of Program Development and Communications at their non-profit, the Alliance for Consumer Education. She wound up leaving that position for another non-profit called WTS International, which works to create equity and access for women in the transportation sector.
Where is she now? For the last 2.5 years, Hale has been working on Capitol Hill for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Democrats as their Press Secretary and Digital Director. She works with reporters, Democratic Caucus members, the administration, NGOs, and nonprofits to promote cleaner, greener, safer, and more accessible infrastructure.
Speaking about her current job, Hale said, “Working on Capitol Hill means my job can look vastly different day to day, but my goal is always to advance the priorities of T&I Committee Members through communications. My favorite part of my job is translating complex policies into things as simple as a tweet so that more people can know about the work members do to make everyday life easier.”
Hale adds her work does a small part in helping reduce pollution that leads to climate change, increase the quality of life, and provide greater access to opportunities for all Americans. It’s why she hopes to stay in this line of work forever.
She is one of the many former IB graduates who plan to attend this summer’s 10-year reunion of the first ever graduating class and calls them “bonded for life!”.
Past Alumni Features:
