Linda* studied Agricultural Economics at Cornell University before returning home to New Mexico to become a fourth-generation rancher. Linda’s children have carried on the legacy. She was a founding member of the New Mexico Farm and Ranch Heritage Museum, seeking to connect the present generation to 4,000 years of agricultural history in the region. In 1995, Linda was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame. Her commitment to ranching and cattle raising brought her such awards as the Cattleman of the Year Award and the Golden Spur Award. Linda shared a unique relationship with former Walker’s Head of School Natalie Galbraith Mitchell who, after Linda’s graduation, became her stepmother!

*Deceased

Wendy is a Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of psychological suspense novels. She has previously worked as a Financial Analyst in Mergers and Acquisitions at Goldman Sachs & Co. and as an attorney at Broder & Orland LLC. As a former family law attorney with training in child advocacy, Wendy draws from her knowledge of trauma and psychology to write compelling and complex characters and stories. Wendy has returned to Walker’s to speak with our students about her career and has participated in several virtual alumnae author events.

Catherine earned her B.A. in Neuroscience from Dartmouth College and her M.D. from the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, where she received the William Mellen Chamberlain Memorial Prize for the graduate who “has the best overall record of achievement during his or her four years of study.” Catherine graduated Dermatology Residency at Yale New Haven Health and is now an attending dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center. She was previously a resident physician at Brigham Women’s Hospital and a Research Assistant at both Dartmouth Hitchcock and Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Carolina is a Salvadoran arts professional currently serving as Executive Director at Dallas Contemporary, blending her expertise in communications and business development to drive groundbreaking engagement with contemporary art, focusing on social and community impact. Previously, she served as Director of External Affairs at New York’s leading public arts non-profit, Creative Time, and as Head of Communications at New York’s leading Latin American cultural institution El Museo del Barrio. She sits on the advisory board of Y.ES Contemporary, a non-profit fostering opportunities for contemporary artists in El Salvador, and has served as El Salvador’s Ambassador on Special Mission for Cultural Affairs. Carolina earned a B.S. in Fashion Merchandising from Texas Christian University. She is a Fellow of the Fourteenth Class of the Central America Leadership Initiative, making her a member of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network. In 2021, she was named by DCEO Magazine as one of the region’s most influential leaders.

Leah is the Chief Marketing Officer responsible for the global marketing program and team at Mews, one of the fastest-growing European companies. With over 20 years of experience in brand and product strategy, communications, and growth marketing for tech startups, Leah is passionate about product innovation. Leah has helped multiple software companies launch award-winning products. She earned her B.A. in American History and Economics from Wheaton College. Having spent 15 years as a competitive equestrian where she learned firsthand the positive impact that outdoor sports can have on the lives of women and girls. Today, Leah is the Board Chair for Free to Run, an international charity supporting young women and girls in areas of conflict, building leadership skills, and improving their physical, emotional, and social wellbeing through physical activity and running.

Jade is a recent graduate of Berklee College of Music with a degree in Video Game Scoring and Contemporary Writing & Production. Born in China and raised in the United States, her studies with distinguished musicians such as Chihiro Yamanaka, Alain Mallet, Vadim Neselovsky, and Rob Lewis have cultivated her unique sound. Jade’s experiences range from performing as lead keyboardist with the orchestra at Boston Symphony Hall, performing hit records in both pop and hip hop in tribute concerts honoring Sylvia Rhone and Missy Elliott, and being the only pianist in Lauren Jauregui’s all-female band. As a composer and arranger, she worked for Pickle Music in New York. Jade now lives in China working for miHoYo as an in-house member for the music team HOYO-MiX, where she is currently writing music for the internationally acclaimed game Genshin Impact.

LaToya is VP of Product Development Strategy and Operations at Chinook Therapeutics, Inc., focusing on mental health and nephrology. She says Walker’s prepared her with a work ethic and self-discipline that prepared her well for higher education. Initially focused on lab research, LaToya realized during her doctoral work that interacting with people and the exchange of ideas was truly her passion. Working her way up to the position of Global Development Team Leader in the pharmaceutical industry allowed her to work towards strategies for global packages that meet a variety of needs. In this role, she learned a lot about inequities in healthcare and now uses her status and influence as a Vice President to help her company prioritize equity in their corporate goals.

Ashley is Co-Founder and Co-Director of the Centre on Armed Groups. She uses her experience with organizations such as the UN, the Red Cross, and various NGOs to communicate with armed groups directly and gain an understanding of their perspectives on conflict. Her end goal is to use that information to help others communicate, negotiate, and alleviate suffering for people who live in areas of conflict. Ashley says that Walker’s gave her the impetus to explore the world, and advises today’s students to “keep asking questions.”

Shinta is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of the Sintesa Group, an Indonesian conglomerate of 16 subsidiaries, as well as Chairwoman of the Indonesia Employers Association. Recently, Shinta was Chair of the B20, with a focus on “strengthening the resilience of women-led businesses and accelerating infrastructure support for women entrepreneurs”, as well as “increasing the digital capabilities of the female workforce.” Shinta has been named as one of FORBES 50 Powerful Asian Businesswomen, and Fortune Indonesia’s 20 Most Powerful Women 2022. In her numerous  leadership roles in several organizations, she advocates for bolstering women-led businesses, enhancing infrastructure support for women entrepreneurs, and boosting the digital skills of the female workforce.

Meredythe is both Vice President of Operations at FinMkt, a leading multi-lender marketplace for consumer and small business loans, and a micro-influencer for food on Instagram. She would be the first to describe her path to finance as unconventional. A gap year working for a non-profit led her to the restaurant business. She worked her way up to managing large restaurant groups, but noticed that others with fewer qualifications were being promoted before her, so she decided to pursue an MBA. She then found FinMkt, co-founded and led by a Vietnamese woman: “Being able to work for a minority female founder brings a different feeling into the room.” Meredythe cites our school meditation — “the reason to know why we are sometimes misunderstood” — as something that continually inspires her to consider things from other perspectives. She also reflects that being a multi-season varsity athlete and pursuing academic excellence is a hallmark of the type of opportunities offered at Walker’s.

Lu is a Senior Lubrication Engineer at Tesla, Inc. where she is working to understand and optimize the tribology of electric vehicles. Her doctoral work at UPenn’s Carpick Research Group focused on tribology, the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion. She says that her favorite part of her research was “creating a new model in the field backed up by new results that people have never discovered before.” While at Walker’s, Lu was given the opportunity to connect with engineers off campus and to conduct research, which she says was the “springboard for what I do now.” While at Penn, Lu completed several internships with ExxonMobil.

Renelle is a professional voiceover actress and narrator who has voiced projects for Disney, Marvel, and Warner Brothers. Previously, as a national television producer and reporter, she traveled the country interviewing celebrities. Now she helps clients make their artistic visions come to life. At Walker’s, she recalls helping a friend with a voiceover project for Carol Clark-Flanagan’s history class. This friend hated the sound of her own voice, so she asked Renelle to voice the project in her place. Ms. Clark-Flanagan complimented and encouraged Renelle in her work. Renelle reflects, “You never know how your words are going to stick with someone and inspire them!”