RHS Grad Eve Lescovitz Participates in Exchange Program in Washington, D.C.

By Melissa Moore-Randall

Revere High School Class of 2020 graduate Eve Lescovitz just completed her first summer as Program Assistant for The Institute for Training and Development at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

“I had the wonderful opportunity to spend the summer with 15 incredible international Scholars of Economics and Business during their training as part of the Study of the US Institutes for Scholars, a series of academic exchange programs sponsored by the US State Department and carried out by ITD. During my time with them, we did everything from touring the Massachusetts Statehouse and the U.S. Capitol, attending a lecture at The International Monetary Fund, bike riding along the Potomac, to whitewater rafting along the Deerfield River! I have lived one million summers all in 6 weeks.”

According to their website, The Institute for Training and Development (ITD) is a nonprofit organization based in Amherst, Massachusetts dedicated to education and inter-cultural exchange. ITD has supported civic engagement, academic exchange, youth leadership, sustainable development and other priority areas worldwide by immersing community leaders, scholars, professionals, governmental and non-governmental administrators in engaging programs from over 100 countries. ITD specializes in short-term academic, professional and youth exchanges.

Eve, the daughter of Rich and Diane Lescovitz, attended the A.C. Whelan Elementary and the Susan B Anthony Middle Schools.  She will be starting her junior year this fall at UMass.  “I am super excited to return to campus and go back to living with and seeing my friends. I will be continuing my work with ITD as their Program Assistant and will also return for my second semester as a Peer Tutor at the school’s Learning Resource Center, where I tutor students enrolled in introductory level Spanish and Political Science courses.”

She is pursuing a double major in Political Science and Spanish, and is also pursuing a certificate in International Relations. “I chose to also pursue International Relations because after taking the Intro Political Science courses my first semester of freshman year. I realized I found domestic politics and the U.S. government a little boring and enjoyed learning about World Politics and foreign policy more. I like learning about the way the U.S. interacts with other countries more than the way in which we interact with ourselves, even though that can definitely be interesting sometimes, especially recently.”

Like so many students, Eve’s college experience was negatively impacted by the pandemic. “Since my freshman year was online due to the pandemic, and my first semester on campus in the Spring of 2021 consisted of us being locked down in our dorms, this past year was basically my first full year of college where most clubs, classes, programs, and activities were back in full swing. One of the funnest clubs I was a part of this year was called Sisters on the Runway, a club dedicated to raising awareness for survivors of domestic violence, where we host an annual fashion show and donate the proceeds to survivors.”

“The most important thing I was a part of this year was called Umass Women Into Leadership, a highly selective leadership program dedicated to women who are interested in pursuing a career in public service. Throughout the program we learn about networking, salary negotiation, interviewing, building a strong resume, and much more. It consisted of weekly classes where we usually had a guest speaker, including local politicians like State Representative Mindy Domb, or other women working for non profits or other governmental positions. The program concluded with a 3-day long workshop where we networked with professionals in the public and private sectors and attended guest speeches and panels on leadership and government work. Our keynote speaker was Usha Pitts, the US Chargé d’Affaires of the Bahamas. We also had the opportunity to meet former Mayor of Boston Kim Janey, where she gave a speech and did a Q&A with us over breakfast.”

“After the fall semester, I will be traveling to Madrid, Spain to complete a semester abroad at the University of Nebrija where I will continue to study Spanish from February to May. I plan to pursue a career in the foreign service, so during my last year at UMass I will probably be preparing to enroll in graduate school to continue my studies in foreign affairs.”

“If it weren’t for the great education I received at Revere High School I wouldn’t be where I am today. Mr. Kingston, Mr. Benner, Mr. Fellowes, Mr. Ciccarello, Ms Purkey, and Ms. Casper were just a few of the several teachers that helped me navigate not only being a good student but a good friend, teammate, leader, and person-and due to the pandemic I never got to give them a proper thanks. My teachers were there for me and my hundreds of annoying questions, concerns, stories, and even the drama that came with being a teenager, scared and anxious to see what the world had in store for her. I am grateful for all the great opportunities and experiences.”