The first of our alumni spotlights goes out to Demetriouse Russell, who is an alumni of the Luard Morse program from the class of 1987-88.
Demetriouse is currently the CEO of Venn Diagram Partners, LLC. Before arriving at his current role, Demetriouse bounced around from various jobs in different industries such as commercial banking, public service, and working with at risk youth in Boston and Israel. Along the way, he figured out the aspects that he enjoyed and didn't favor through the various roles he had and discovered that he preferred variety and how important it was for him to have an impact through his work. All of his experiences ultimately lead him to the work he does now which is management consulting targeted at customized leadership, DNI consulting, and executive coaching. Demetriouse is highly motivated by his desire to make organizations more fair, inclusive, and equitable.
When asked about his time in the UK through the Luard Morse program, Demetriouse said that he "Loved it! Loved it!". His experience impacted him both socially and academically as he made a lot of friends and was able to learn about international history from an entirely new perspective. Demetriouse really appreciated being able to learn about history from people who represented the countries he was studying. Additionally, during his time there, he had the opportunity to play on a basketball team and even won a national British college and universities championship! As a result, he went out to play a tournament in Paris! This helped Demetriouse realize a new found desire to travel and experience more of the world.
The Luard Morse study abroad program itself impacted Demetriouse by expanding his horizons. He especially found it to be important for him to have experienced as an African American male, how African Americans are viewed outside of the United States.
The advice that Demetriouse leaves for incoming students of this program is to "keep an open mind, throw caution to the wind, and be passionately curious about others".
We are delighted to be reconnecting with our alumni and look forward to speaking with many of you over the coming weeks!