Georgia Reid '97

"My Comp. Lit major opened doors and interests which only a major as complex and personal as this one can do."

I majored in '97 in Comparative Literature 19th-20th Century French Literature and Art History. My advisor was Kate Conley in the French Department. After graduation I participated at a conference in Cerisy, Normandy. An incredible experience where I had the opportunity of meeting great French theorists of Art History and Literature. It was organized and directed by my Advisor Prof. Conley. In Sept. 97 I started working at Leo Burnett in advertising in Chicago. While in Chicago I not only worked in a very creative environment where I could do a lot of writing and researching, but I was also a volunteer for the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and became a licensed tour guide for the Robie House, a house built at a time in history that I had loved studying about during my time at Dartmouth. I then got my masters degree at the London School of Economics where I focused on Social Policy, Planning and Participation in Developing Countries.

My honors thesis was on the rise of the female work force and the free trade zones in Latin America and the Caribbean. Here again I got to use my background in feminist theories which I had used at Dartmouth in both art history and literature courses, which culminated in my Comparative Literature Thesis. I now applied these learnings to a very real situation of women and employment.

Seven years ago I returned to my home country, Dominican Republic.

I work in the family business—in our architecture and interior design firm.

My art history background, literature and writing skills have proved invaluable in our firm's culture and the way we present our knowledge not only of design, but also of our Caribbean culture and way of life. I am back home after years of living in many places. My Comp. Lit major opened doors and interests which only a major as complex and personal as this one can do. I am married with two beautiful children, and from their very young age I have started to teach them about the arts, and what a fulfilling and unique world their study can provide.