Aubrey Hartnett

I am honored to be a current MALD candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. My studies focus

Before graduate school, I double-majored in International Studies (with a concentration in Human Rights) and Spanish at the University of Dayton, graduating with an Honors with Distinction degree. I spent an entire academic year in Granada, Spain, taking courses at the Universidad de Granada and through IES Abroad-Granada. All of my coursework, ranging from flamenco to Andalusian economics, from human rights law to Islamic art and architecture, was completed in Spanish.

Of the intervening decade since my undergraduate education, I spent 7.5 years working with International Patients, during which I managed all the relationships required for patient care and growth of the department. I have personally worked with patients, colleagues, doctors, hospital leaders, government agencies, diplomats, insurance companies, world leaders, and individuals at all levels from over 90 countries.* Following that experience, I joined a childcare startup as a customer success coordinator, working to support women in Massachusetts looking to open their own in-home childcare programs. With the COVID-19 pandemic, I shifted to telehealth where I grew a team devoted to connecting hundreds of patients to remote expert opinions.

The ability to work in diverse settings means I continue to improve as an intercultural communicator daily, as it is necessary to my success in working with colleagues and clients. I was an invaluable resource to the hospital, consulting with teams to make sure they are approaching intergovernmental or international settings with the appropriate cultural etiquette and sensitivity. My language skills and sensitivity also made it so I adapted to all levels of the Go-To-Market efforts of the childcare startup, including all Spanish language sales (making up nearly 50% of new partnerships during my time there). Through my position on the DEI team at my current position, I have been able to work with the C-suite to commit to improving hiring diversity, promoting retention through increased training, and supporting efforts outside the company as well.

If asked what a dream job would be when I was in grade school, I would have replied with ‘cultural etiquette consultant.’ As long as I can remember, I have been fascinated by other people’s backgrounds and stories, and learning how we can best communicate with and learn from one another. In my professional experience, I have learned how crucial this can be for success, and I continue to be passionate about intercultural coordination. Having been lucky enough to travel, and taking every advantage to do so, I have been able to spend time in Spain, China, Croatia, Morocco, Italy, Scotland, England, France, Germany, Canada, and more, to learn, work, and experience first-hand life in communities other than my place of origin.

Outside of my work, I have been involved in various projects and organizations that work for human rights. From tutoring and mentoring individual children, to working to educate and lift voices in international settings, I focus my energy outside of the office in making the world a better place. I have also completed a professional certificate in women in leadership, developing skills to make me a more successful player inside and outside of my professional settings.

*Including: Albania, Algeria, Anguilla, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Bermuda, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Estonia, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Morocco, the Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sudan, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, and Zimbabwe.