Three questions with Eduardo Campbell Bethancourt, student graduation speaker 2022

Eduardo Campbell Bethancourt joined the Master of Public Policy at the Hertie School in 2020. Two years later, for his ongoing commitment to education, class and racial equality, he was voted student graduation speaker for the Class of 2022 by his peers. In this interview, the graduate from Panama takes a look back on his studies and provides a sneak preview into his farewell speech to the community.  

Now that classes have finished, what was the most valuable lesson you learned during your studies at the Hertie School? 

Definitely the importance of having meaningful connections! I started my studies in late summer 2020, in the midst of a pandemic. Even though the Hertie School used all sorts of digital tools to help us get to know professors and other students, making friends was not that easy. By asking people for a walk to explore Berlin or a beer at the Spree via our common WhatsApp group, I was able to build a sense of community with people who became like family to me.  

Looking back, what achievement are you particularly proud of? 

In my first semester, I joined SHIELD, the student initiative for inclusion, equity, liberty and diversity. We organised an event on the Black Lives Matter movement and how it affected us at the Hertie School. I was overwhelmed by the number of people participating. Even professors joined. The conversations we had on racial and class equality inspired us to propose launching a mentoring programme for Hertie School students from non-academic families like mine.  

Two years later, 45 students, professors and post-docs have joined the programme I initiated together with the School’s leadership. I am especially proud of this because access to knowledge remains highly connected to socio-economic background. It’s often thought that important career milestones in life are purely the result of an individual’s hard work, when in fact, nationality, economic status and helping hands also play an important role. Merit is definitely a concept I reflected on and redefined during my time at the Hertie School. I will also address it in my graduation speech, an honour I was granted when I was chosen as the Class of 2022 speaker by my fellow peers.  

What’s next for you after graduation? 

First, I’m really looking forward to the graduation ceremony. My mom has never been to Europe and will come over from Panama to share this moment with me. After all the hustle and bustle of graduation has settled, I already have two ideas in my head. I first want to bid university life farewell and work for two or three years in consulting. I am excited to gain some experience in the private sector and be challenged, and to earn some money and pay off debt. Afterwards, I see myself pursuing a PhD in political economy on a topic which really gets me going: the intersection of governance, race and class. 

The Hertie School is not responsible for any content linked or referred to from these pages. Views expressed by the author/interviewee may not necessarily reflect the views and values of the Hertie School.