Tag Archives: alumni memories
David Young Finds Hope and Purpose Amid USAID’s Abrupt End
When I started the Amherst College part of this podcast, I wanted to capture the stories of my 1994 classmates who’ve navigated big pivots in their lives. Few stories embody that better than David Young. He joined me from Mozambique, where he and his husband make their home.
David’s career has taken him from Amherst’s ROTC program to the Air Force JAG Corps, then into a remarkable 20-year run with USAID. His tenure ended abruptly when the agency was dismantled earlier this year. His reflections on that loss, and the grace and perspective he brings to this moment, are inspiring.
We talk about his journey all over the world, his pivotal role in South Sudan’s independence referendum, and what it’s like to help shape democracy and development from the inside out.
Highlights:
How his upbring led to a life of global service.
The emotional impact of USAID’s sudden shutdown, and how he’s processing it.
His firsthand memories of historic moments like South Sudan’s independence and Ukraine’s 2013 revolution.
Why he’s hopeful about helping rebuild the global development field, possibly from the classroom.
The next classmates David wants to hear from next.
You can email David at w.d.young.94@gmail.com.
Zack Henry Has Mastered The Art Of Connection
Since our freshman year in Morrow (“Psycho Ward”), Zack Henry has built a life that’s taken him across the globe. He’s lived on four continents, worked on six, and led projects ranging from energy dialogues in Saudi Arabia to business development in New York and São Paulo. But at the heart of his story is something simpler and deeper: a belief in what he calls “the hidden pass.” Borrowed from soccer, it’s his metaphor for the unexpected connections between people and ideas that unlock opportunity.
In this episode, Zack and I talk about his life as a global connector and the balance he’s learning to strike now between professional ambition and being present for his two kids. We also get into how he’s reinvented himself over and over again, from entrepreneur to executive to coach, and what that’s taught him about curiosity, connection, and growth.
Highlights include:
Memories from the “Psycho Ward” and the Amherst friendships that started it all
What it means to be a “recruiter’s worst nightmare,” and why that’s a good thing
Lessons from a global career and the importance of staying curious
The classmate he wants to hear from next
You can email him at zackhenry@gmail.com.
Jessica Smith Sent Climate Instruments To The Edge Of Space. Now, She’s Reimagining Her Path.
Thirty years ago, a Boston Globe classified ad launched Jessica Smith into a career at Harvard, where she built bespoke instruments and launched them on NASA’s converted U-2 aircraft, flying at 70,000 feet to read the chemistry of our stratosphere. In this conversation, she traces the improbable path from Amherst’s machine shop to equipping these delicate high fliers for experiments over the Arctic winter, tracking ozone recovery, and measuring changes in and storm impacts.
After a federally funded program cut led to a layoff in March, Jessica is candid about resilience, reinvention, and where that Amherst-honed knack for figuring things out might take her next: faculty life, lutherie (look it up), or starting a delightfully serious soft-serve ice cream business. Along the way, she reflects on a pivotal senior-year “academic blowout,” the joy of hands-on work, and what’s at stake when long-running climate data sets and training pipelines are disrupted.
To get in touch with Jessica, email her at jessica.b.smith@hotmail.com or find her on LinkedIn.
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