Name: Anna Dydzuhn 
Year Graduated Westover: 2011
College/University attended: Barnard College, Columbia University
College/University Major & Graduation Year: English Literature, 2015
Current Job Title: Workflow Strategy Manager at ABC News 

How did Westover prepare you to head into a brand new environment during your first year of college? 

Without a doubt Westover’s education on how to write an essay gave me a huge head start on other students and allowed me to hit the ground running at college.

How did Westover give you the confidence to find yourself or find success in college?

Westover gave me a safe environment to explore who I was and what I cared about. (I infamously tried to join every club in my sophomore year.) When things were much harder to navigate at an NYC college, I had a baseline confidence that let me still put myself out there and figure out my interests.

What is something you discovered about yourself during your time in college? 

In college I learned how to jump into the unknown when I started working with another student to advocate for better protections for unpaid interns. After noticing how unregulated companies and schools were around unpaid internships, I found out that students had no recourse against sexual harassment if they were an unpaid intern, unless their city or state specifically protected them. I met with city and state representatives, and eventually discussed the issue with a US congresswoman who went on to introduce a bill in the House of Representatives to protect unpaid interns. I’d had no idea how the process of advocating for a bill worked before that, and starting from scratch really made me confident that I could pick up any skill if I was dedicated enough.

What is one risk you took after Westover that helped shape who you are today?

Quitting my first job. So many young women are so driven towards success and achievement and have been rewarded for that. Despite being successful in my previous consulting career, looking at the lifestyle and the achievements and realizing that it wasn’t a good fit for me was incredibly empowering. It has helped me be more intentional and happy.

Since graduating from college, what have you been doing? 

Professionally I work on technology strategy at ABC News to support our journalists in creating the best possible work. Outside of work I’m a bit of a hobby dabbler. In the past few years, I’ve tried ballet, roller derby, ceramics, running, and gaming. I am also a proud cat mom to Phillip Dydzuhn.

How valuable are your Westover connections? 

My Westover friends have been a rock in these weird times. While I was living alone and not seeing anyone in person in the early pandemic, I spoke to Elizabeth Peterson ‘11 and Krystalina Tom ‘10 every day and they continue to be amazing supports and sounding boards for me.

Why is giving back to the Westover Fund important to you? 

I was only able to attend Westover because of the financial aid and scholarship opportunities I was given. Not only did that generosity allow me to take classes but also have a full experience with the same glee club trips and study abroad adventures that other students went on. I want every student to have the same opportunities regardless of their parents’ abilities to pay for them.

What is one thing you’ve learned about yourself or have come to value more during this global pandemic?

As a social person, I’ve come to value my alone time and my ability to be alone with myself.

What advice would you give to current Westover students who are in the midst of a “new normal?” 

When I was at Westover, many of us wanted to help the world but the problems felt so big and far. While the problems in the world are still huge and scary, I think this “new normal” has also exposed how close to home a lot of problems in the world are and how they affect us all. The current students’ generation is one of the best at responding to the moment and making change. I think current Westover students will be able to make a real difference and find meaning in a difficult time if they look at their communities and think about how they can help make this new world better for all of us.