Esther T. Benjamin
Esther Benjamin, you’ve embarked on a remarkable journey, from your beginnings in a small village in northern Sri Lanka to working in the White House under two U.S. presidents, to leading impactful programs in 100 countries. You’ve successfully bridged gaps--between regions, countries, organizations and sectors--to create life-changing economic and educational opportunities all around the world.
You immigrated to the U.S. as a child and earned bachelor’s degrees in political science and English from North Central College and advanced degrees in applied economics and international affairs from American University. That interdisciplinary education laid a foundation for a far-reaching trisector career.
Currently, as CEO of World Education Services, you help international students, immigrants and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the U.S. and Canada. Previously, you were CEO for Africa Operations and senior vice president for global public affairs at Laureate Education.
You’ve also served in President Barack Obama’s administration, as associate director for global operations for the Peace Corps, and you were appointed by President Bill Clinton as a White House Fellow. You’ve held senior management roles with the International Youth Foundation and the International Partnership for Microbicides. You’ve consulted in private-sector management with Grant Thornton; served as a United Nations Humanitarian Affairs Officer; and worked on the Brookings Institution’s 1997 publication “The World Bank: Its First Half-Century.”
You also are a board member of Echoing Green, Seed Global Health and North Central College, and you serve on the advisory boards of Game Denmark and American University’s School of International Service.
You’ve often said that to drive maximum long-term, human-centered change, we must connect the dots between issues and sectors and view complex problems through multiple lenses. That’s the essence of the liberal arts education.
President Ensign, in recognition of the lives she’s transformed globally through the power of education and economic opportunity, and for her living embodiment of global, lifelong and interdisciplinary education, I am proud to present Esther T. Benjamin as a candidate for an honorary degree in international education.
A Message from Esther T. Benjamin to the Graduates