Anna Beshlian, Columbia University

Anna Caryl Beshlian is a second year scholar-athlete at Barnard College of Columbia University. She is an American Studies major, concentrating in United States history and race and ethnic studies, with a minor in Spanish. Anna competes on the Columbia Women’s Rowing team and is a Resident Adviser in 110th College Residence Hall. 

In terms of work, Anna has been involved with childcare since she started babysitting at age 12. For the summers of 2015 and 2016, Anna was a full-time nanny, caring for two boys. Her responsibilities included driving the children, cooking, cleaning, assisting with summer homework, coordinating logistics for the family schedule, and ensuring the children’s overall health and happiness. 

Anna also has experience in the retail industry. She was a commissioned sales associate for Nordstrom during the summer of 2017, where she was dedicated to embodying Nordstrom’s exceptional standard of customer service. Anna worked to optimize the experience for the customer through establishing relationships with them: greeting them, assisting them through the fitting process, and following up with them personally after special purchases. Her tasks also included cleaning the fitting rooms, sorting and organizing merchandise, answering the phones, and operating Point of Sale transactions. 

Through her role as a Resident Adviser, Anna has honed her leadership and public speaking skills. She strives to cultivate a supportive, inclusive atmosphere for her residents as they navigate the college lifestyle. She actualizes these goals by organizing programs and activities for her residents, as well as hosting floor meetings and communicating important policy information so that her residents feel empowered in their decision-making.

New York City is particularly enticing for Anna due to its complex cultural makeup, which contributes to its status as an ever-evolving yet richly historic hub for the arts, cuisine, and entertainment. For leisure, Anna enjoys exploring modern art exhibits—her current favorite museums include the Brooklyn Museum and El Museo del Barrio. Anna is particularly interested in the intersection of social justice movements and art, and how art can be an impactful, radical form of expression.