In early March, our Upper School students had the opportunity to learn about and hear from this year's distinguished alumnae award winners*

Lena Alfi '05, CEO of the Malala Fund and Alana Pacheco '10, director of the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium. The two were interviewed as part of a Q&A led by Westridge student newspaper Spyglass' editor-in-chief Ella B. '25 on topics including their careers, time at Westridge, and advice for current students.

• Lena Alfi '05, CEO of the Malala Fund (2025 Mary Lowther Ranney Distinguished Alumna): At The Malala Fund, an international nonprofit founded by Nobel Peace Prize recipient Malala Yousafzai, Alfi works to ensure all girls have access to 12 years of free, safe, and quality education. She is deeply passionate about women's and children's causes, and has previous experience supporting women's micro-finance and empowerment programs in India and West Africa, and creating strategic partnerships to support the educational and humanitarian needs of women and children in the Middle East. Lena is a Westridge lifer and was a Greek during her time here.
• Alana Pacheco '10, Director of Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (2025 Distinguished Young Alumna): Pacheco is committed to building resilient food systems with an eye toward a more sustainable future. Her organization leads efforts to decarbonize the agricultural supply chain by engaging farmers in conservation practices and creating partnerships that support food and beverage companies in sustainable sourcing. Alana is also Westridge lifer, a proud Roman, and--fun fact--was a member of the Green Guerrillas!

QUOTABLES:

"At Westridge, I was always very comfortable with myself," said Pacheco. "I was encouraged to be who I was and pursue things I was interested in. There was no reason why I couldn't do sports or costumes or whatever it was that I wanted to pursue. And I think that helped me as a young adult in discovering what I was interested, trying new things, and having the confidence to go into a place where I was new or not the expert and just be myself."

"I think you have to keep your values at the forefront of what you're doing," said Alfi, in response to student question about obstacles to her work. "We're in a culture right now where everything is very performative and it's about what you say or what you post or how you show up … Don't get caught up in all of that--do things that are actually going to lead to change and lead to impact and have a lot of patience if you're looking at long-term change and impact. The things that we're trying to do will take a long time, and you [will] have to get through a lot of people who don't agree with you. You have to be diplomatic and strategic and thoughtful about how you navigate it because the end goal--the end result--is what matters more.”

*Who are the distinguished alumnae award winners? Every year, two alumnae are celebrated as the Mary Lowther Ranney Distinguished Alumna and Distinguished Young Alumna for their commitment to their educational/career paths, dedication to lifelong growth and learning, and for serving as an inspiration to the Westridge community. Read more about the awards, and about Alfi and Pacheco, here.