I first met Vennie Encheva during my freshman year: she was my next door neighbor in Porter. I once went downstairs to the printing room where she was writing a paper, and we have continued to have intriguing and informal conversations ever since. A world traveler from Razgrad, Bulgaria, Vennie has done more than one can possibly imagine, and has certainly left her mark here at Mount Holyoke.
This mathematics and economics special major is also a politics minor, who is active in many on- and off-campus activities. Vennie shared some of her favorite pursuits with me as we chatted in the Buckland living room after brunch last Sunday. She is a Distinguished Emerging Leader for a professional network in New York City called Womensphere, a network which engages women who are interested in advancing their careers in a variety of disciplines. Additionally, she is the co-chair of the Lyon’s Network, where she helps to organize the annual New England Global Leadership Conference. You may have also seen her at the Career Development Center, where she currently works as a Peer Career Advisor.
Following graduation, Vennie will be working in New York City for Antitrust Consulting under the National Economic Research Associates, run by the consulting firm Oliver Wyman. Additionally, she plans to launch her own Streaming Media Company. “It’s an online venture like YouTube or Hulu, but it will have individual content providers who stream documentaries and different lectures, as an example,” said Vennie.
This seemingly-optimistic and humble woman has many things going for her. When asked what the best part about being a senior was, Vennie replied, “I’ve grown up at Mount Holyoke.” She explained that the maturity she has gained from being on campus for four years has made her who she is today. “Mount Holyoke has given me the attitude that the sky is truly the limit.”
One of the most impacting and exceptional highlights for Vennie has been her many friendships. “I’ve carried the friendships I’ve made since my first year.” She also revealed that she has learned how to integrate her thinking and make connections with what she has learned in her classes. Her advice to others: “It’s okay to feel lost at times because it keeps the creativity flowing in the various solutions that are waiting out there for you to find.”
When asked to divulge something random about herself, Vennie laughed and admitted that she wrote her very own fairytale, called “Fairytales and Dragon Slayers.” But the big shocker in all of this is not that she wrote her own fairytale, but that she did so last week! As a passionate dancer, she also has taken up Argentinean Tango and is part of a Bollywood dance group called SUR, which is the Hindi word for “melody.”
If Vennie could pillow talk with anyone on campus it would be Dean of Students, Penny Gill. “She is so cheerful, positive, and inspirational.” Much like Penny Gill, Vennie too is spirited, motivated and a total joy to be around. As I always like to say, you may never know how much that befriending your next door neighbor or reading a locally-written fairytale in your spare time may influence your precious time here at Mount Holyoke.
