2013-2014 College Government President Cited Among Promising Women Leaders

Joy Das ’14, Wellesley College Government President for 2013-2014, was featured on MSNBC Online as part of its ongoing series on Women in Politics: College Edition. The series spotlights promising women leaders in student government at colleges and universities who are making a difference not only through key issues on campus, but in bridging the gender gap in politics.

Das comes from St. Louis, Mo., and majors in political science. In addition to giving welcoming remarks at Wellesley’s 2013 Convocation and leading College Government through this academic year, she has served as a residential assistant and as student bursar, the chief administrator of the Student Activity Fund with a budget of $605,000.

On the challenges of leadership, Das told MSNBC, “Wellesley has an incredibly diverse student body, so trying to give a balanced, accurate, and articulate portrayal of all perspectives at the same time without alienating anyone is a constant challenge. I’m always worried, what if I am not explaining a point of view correctly, or there’s a perspective I don’t know about? It’s easy to pick a side in any debate, but then you run the risk of silencing part of the population that you represent. After that, you lose the ability to help anyone reach their goals. And if you can’t help other people, what’s the point?”

MSNBC also asked Das her thoughts about pivotal moments in history, female leaders that inspire her, and what should be the current president’s number-one priority. Funny enough, the woman she named as an inspiring leader shared the headlines with Das when the story was posted on MSNBC's Women of 2014.