If you haven鈥檛 been keeping up with Barbara Pierce Bush, daughter of former President George W. Bush, you might be surprised to learn what she鈥檚 currently up to. 鈥淚 work at the National Basketball Association (NBA), even though I shouldn't, because I know very little about basketball,鈥� she joked earlier this month in front of a crowd of students and Boston College community members at the annual Chambers Lecture, hosted by the Winston Center for Leadership and Ethics.
For most of her career, Bush has been tackling health disparities worldwide as CEO of Global Health Corps, the nonprofit she cofounded in 2009. She explained that her role as the NBA鈥檚 Head of Social Responsibility is just a new way to address these issues on a larger scale.听
Barbara Pierce Bush and Tracy Regan
鈥淭he NBA may not scream 鈥榩urpose,鈥� per se, but it is very in line with my purpose,鈥� said Bush. She has been leading campaigns to promote awareness and resources for mental health and other social issues鈥攎essages often broadcast during televised games to national audiences. 鈥淭o think about how we can use this huge reach to work on issues that matter to our fans is a really fun puzzle for me to think about.鈥�
The message of finding one鈥檚 purpose carried on throughout the hourlong conversation moderated by economics professor Tracy Regan. From White House ghost stories to anecdotes about what sparked her passion for global health, Bush reflected on her winding path and the people who have influenced her along the way. 鈥淚 feel lucky in every way to have the family that I have,鈥� she said, tearing up as she shared memories of her grandfather, George H.W. Bush. 鈥淚 never really questioned if I would try to work on issues that matter to me. That's what I thought everyone did based on who I was surrounded by.鈥�
During her father鈥檚 presidential term, Bush traveled around the world with her parents. While traveling to countries in east and central Africa for the rollout of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), she was shaken by the lack of worldwide access to medicine that was readily available in the United States. 鈥淎t 21, I was struck by the injustice of the notion that if you were poor, you couldn鈥檛 get these life-saving medications,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 want to live in that world, and so I became obsessed with global health.鈥�
At 24 years old, she cofounded Global Health Corps as a leadership accelerator with a mission to reduce health inequalities. 鈥淚 was never going to be a doctor or a scientist, but I wanted to figure out how to be part of solving huge health issues,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou don't have to change who you are to work in global health. You just need to maximize what you can bring to the table.鈥� She served as the organization's CEO for 10 years, during which the nonprofit expanded significantly with offices in seven countries and thousands employed.
“ I found it liberating to realize there is no perfect step forward. I've grown most when I've had hard experiences, or when I've been completely out of my comfort zone. ”
The message struck a note with students in the audience, many of whom were seniors minoring in Managing for Social Impact and the Public Good. Addressing students directly, Bush urged them to approach their futures with an open mind and embrace opportunities to work on issues they are passionate about. 鈥淚 found it liberating to realize there is no perfect step forward,鈥� she said. 鈥淚've grown most when I've had hard experiences, or when I've been completely out of my comfort zone.鈥�
As the conversation opened up for questions from the audience, students continued to seek advice about pursuing careers with purpose and navigating the trials of working on social issues. One student shared that her father also worked in government and asked Bush how she went about making a name for herself, to which Bush replied, 鈥淚 just didn't really care what others thought about me. I wanted to be a good person and feel that I was making the right moral choices. If you can do that, you get to live your own life rather than someone else's projection of it.鈥�