The Wellesley Effect in my life can be summed up in one word: confidence. Wellesley developed a confidence in me that I would never have developed elsewhere. No matter what room I enter, I know that no one is better educated than I. They might be smarter, but they are not better educated. That ignited a fearlessness in me that has allowed me to make decisions that were best for me regardless of what others thought. This confidence has also allowed me to be the kind of mother who did not need peer approval or praise while raising my children who, in turn, have developed into independent young people who follow their internal compasses. I am grateful everyday for the experiences I had at Wellesley and for the confidence I derived therefrom. I attended other schools after Wellesley for other degrees, but I call on my Wellesley experience in the face of challenges. I went to Wellesley, so I know I can handle anything.