Elaine Hargrove ’09

Hometown: Chevy Chase, Md

International Upbringing
Can boast dual-citizenship to the United States and Austria. “I grew up very internationally—I applied to Davidson on a whim, with no real intention of coming here. When I got accepted, I visited for Decision Davidson and fell in love. I started using Davidson as a yardstick against which to measure every other school, until I realized it was where I wanted to be.”

A Passage to India
Studied abroad with the Davidson in India program. “It was absolutely amazing—for fear of sounding cliché, it was a life-changing experience. Going to India has really promoted my interest in women’s issues and the developing world. I love Western Europe, it’s home to me, but those countries can hold their own. France and Austria are very different places, but on some level, they’re not—then you go to India, Zanzibar, Turkey and you see a whole different world. There’s a lot of hope, I think, in those countries.”

Service and Trust
Bonner Scholar and beneficiary of The Davidson Trust. “Being a Bonner scholar has been increasingly central to my Davidson experience. I think I’ve followed a similar progression to other Bonner scholars—as you get older, you see the incredible value in it. With the help of The Davidson Trust and the Bonner Scholarship, I’ve been able to do service abroad every single summer I’ve been here. I think it’s vital that students can take advantage of the opportunities Davidson has to offer without fearing financial repercussions.”

Change Agent in a Global Community
Takes her passion for community service to a global level through her work with Women Without Borders. Went to Vienna this fall for a four-day conference on creating a global anti-terrorism network focusing on women. “Women are an untapped resource in the fight against terrorism, so we’re talking to victims of terrorist attacks, journalists, survivors… it’s very valuable, very necessary work.”