Alumni

Maureen Trantham, B'03

During her time at Bellarmine, Maureen participated in theater, photography, The Lion newspaper, and the literary-arts review, Lionize. She went on to study Journalism and the Comparative History of Ideas at the University of Washington, then got her MBA at New York University, and is now the Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Philanthropy Operations at Sesame Workshop. Most of us know Sesame Workshop for the hit show, Sesame Street, but the organization is so much more than just the show. They describe themselves as, “a nonprofit organization on a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder”. 
During her time at Bellarmine, Maureen participated in theater, photography, The Lion newspaper, and the literary-arts review, Lionize. She went on to study Journalism and the Comparative History of Ideas at the University of Washington, then got her MBA at New York University, and is now the Senior Vice President of Social Impact & Philanthropy Operations at Sesame Workshop. Most of us know Sesame Workshop for the hit show, Sesame Street, but the organization is so much more than just the show. They describe themselves as, “a nonprofit organization on a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder”. 

What do you remember most from your time at Bellarmine?

“I was an extreme English nerd. But, thankfully I had teachers like Mr. Baerg, Mrs. Wood, Mr. Ploof and Mr. Wilkinson that really encouraged me to pursue my passions and probably indulged me a little too. They pushed me to think critically, answer my own ‘hard questions’ and do more than what was assigned. This meant I read an absurd amount of Shakespeare, and a frightening amount of Foucault for a 16-year-old.

How did Bellarmine prepare you for your future?

“I graduated wanting to become something between a female Hunter S. Thompson and a punk rock executive – if such a career existed. But mostly I wanted, freedom, independence, travel, and the ability to seek deeper answers to some of the central questions my time at Bellarmine raised.

Bellarmine not only put me on an incredible path, but it also placed some incredible people on that path with me. One of the things I cherish most about the experience (now almost 20 years out) is the relationships I forged with my classmates. Even though I’ve been out in New York for 10 years, a core group of us are still in touch and cheer each other on through weddings, babies, jobs, a set of Jesuit vows, and more than a few meet-ups at the Parkway Tavern.”

Can you share more about the global humanitarian work Sesame Workshop is doing?

“Sesame Workshop is so much more than just a show. We use the power of media to reach and teach in over 160 countries:
    • Delivering on-the-ground education and community outreach in India.
    • Developing content for girls to destigmatize Menstrual Hygiene Management in Sub-Saharan Africa.
    • Promoting the importance of girl’s education in Afghanistan.
    • And, we are currently leading two of the largest early childhood interventions in the history of humanitarian response in Syria and Bangladesh.
I get to make sure each of these efforts runs as efficiently, effectively and sustainably, as possible -- using the tools I learned as a journalist, education advocate and management consultant. It is incredibly challenging work, because we’re doing so many things that have never been done before (particularly, during COVID), but it also feels like the most aligned my skills and desire to drive change have ever been.”

What professional advice do you have for other Alumni?

“I had a business school professor who once told us 'I hope you get what you want and you want it when you get it – because they’re rarely the same thing.' And while I dismissed it at the time, it really hits me now because in some ways it is very true.

We all make trade-offs along the way and I’m not exactly the female Hunter S. Thompson or punk rock executive my 16-year-old self envisioned, but I do think each stage has brought me a little bit closer. While it is important to be open to change throughout your career, it is also important to discern whether or not you’re growing into the person you really want to be.”
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