We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Hoveland and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m from Bigfork, Montana, a small town on the shores of Flathead Lake and in the backyard of Glacier National Park. Growing up, I was always an outcast — my political views, future plans, and personal morals differed from my peers, causing years of torment, bullying, and literal death threats. However, I always excelled at academics. I was rarely challenged by the curriculum offered by my school, but I was very lucky to grow up in the age of the Internet, where programs like Crash Course and Khan Academy fostered my love of learning.

I knew that I wanted to go to Harvard as early at the 6th grade. After working on a local production of “Legally Blonde: The Musical,” I knew that if Elle Woods could go to Harvard, so could I. Despite never having an applicant from Bigfork, nor having proper standardized test prep, AP/IB classes, or connections within the Ivy League, I got into the #1 school in the country. I know that this was because of my tumultuous upbringing and constant persistence. I was able to tackle anything and everything that came my way — whether it was an abusive, alcoholic mother, an eating disorder, or the sudden death of my best friend — and Harvard saw this potential in me and gave me a shot.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am currently the Digital Communications Coordinator for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. After running social media for Harvard College for 4 years (including boosting their audience from 2,000 to nearly 200,000 followers), I realized that I had a passion and a talent for social media and digital marketing. While I had originally planned to go into politics, even going as far as working on the 2018 Jon Tester senate campaign, 2020 Elizabeth Warren presidential campaign, and 2020 Steve Bullock senate campaign, I learned during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic that I needed a separation between my work and my personal interests. I also learned that I could continue my education at Harvard (for a huge discount!) if I worked at the university, so I began searching for careers at Harvard in relation to digital communications. I started at the Belfer Center in July 2022, and I love it! I’m excited to start taking classes and working towards a masters’ degree in Marketing/Communications in 2023, and I can’t wait to see where my career takes me!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Boston is an AMAZING city, whether you’re visiting for a week or moving here full time! I would start with a tour of the Harvard campus (I was a tour guide in undergrad!), and then make sure that we went to Flour cafe (my favorite in Cambridge). I would hope to catch a Broadway tour show or two downtown, as well as tour some of the iconic historical sites, such as the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre. If we have time, I would also love to bring them down to Cape Cod to see the beautiful Atlantic Ocean and eat some lobstah rolls!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank my dad for his constant and consistent support. I was not an easy child, and I can’t imagine what it was like raising someone who knew from a very young age that they didn’t fit in (and didn’t want to). Thank you for supporting my interests, my hobbies, and my random hyperfixations, as well as always being ready and willing to help me get out of any unsafe situation. I love you!

Instagram: lizhoveland

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-hoveland/

Twitter: lizhoveland

Image Credits
Image Credits: Ellie Taylor, Dylan Goodman, Jeromal Dela Rosa Lara

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