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Alum makes appearance at White House

February 7, 2019

College of Idaho alumna Anna Mansfield '13 appeared in the Oval Office of the White House Thursday as part of the signing ceremony for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative memorandum.

The initiative, which was spoken about in President Trump’s State of the Union address earlier this week, seeks to reach 50 million women in the developing world by 2025 through U.S. government activities, private-public partnerships, and a new, innovative fund at USAID.

The White House ceremony highlighted an event to demonstrate successes and the event that was chosen, the Budala Women’s Group, was founded by Malawai’s Ella Zande. One of the group’s biggest contributors over the past two years was Mansfield.

Mansfield was recognized for her effort with the Peace Corps and the project she helped initiate in Malawi. Mansfield attended with Zande, who said a few words in this clip and received the pen after the President signed the memorandum.

To see an abbreviated portion of the televised coverage where Mansfield appears during comments from Mark Meadows, click here.

Mansfield is listed publicly as an attendee of the event, along with people like Ivanka Trump (who is leading the Initiative), Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan, and Director of the Peace Corps Jody Olsen, among others.

You can read more about the Women’s Global Development & Prosperity Initiative by clicking here.

The College of Idaho has a 128-year-old legacy of excellence. The C of I is known for its outstanding academic programs, winning athletics tradition and history of producing successful graduates, including seven Rhodes Scholars, three governors, and countless business leaders and innovators. Its distinctive PEAK Curriculum challenges students to attain competency in the four knowledge peaks of humanities, natural sciences, social sciences and a professional field—empowering them to earn a major and three minors in four years. The College’s close-knit, residential campus is located in Caldwell, where its proximity both to Boise and to the world-class outdoor activities of southwest Idaho’s mountains and rivers offers unique opportunities for learning beyond the classroom.  For more information, visit www.collegeofidaho.edu.