Nearly a century ago, Anna T. Kenney attended Simmons College (renamed Simmons University in 2018), majoring in secretarial studies.
Kenney played junior and varsity basketball at Simmons, served on the Daisy Chain Committee, and was President of the Newman Club, an organization for Catholic students. Her role as indomitable “Lunch Room Management” was praised in the Microcosm in 1928:
“In spite of Anna's smiling good nature, it is pretty hard to get by that restraining arm of hers holding back the hungry college in the lunch room. With such a combination of cheerfulness and conscientiousness, it is not surprising that Anna makes a success of everything she does, whether it's Newman Club or Commercial Law.”
Now, Kenney’s great-granddaughter, Annie Doherty ’26, has followed in her footsteps to Simmons.
“My great-grandmother was the first woman in her family to attend college,” says Doherty, a student in the accelerated degree in Economics & Public Policy (3+1). While Doherty first looked at Simmons because of the familial connection, “it ended up being a perfect fit for me,” she says.
An Accelerated Approach
Doherty’s accelerated degree combines a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a Master in Public Policy in four years of study.
"I chose the accelerated Economics to Public Policy program for a few reasons,” says Doherty. “It provides two degrees that would help me get where I wanted to be, in the nonprofit or public sector, with the benefit of only four years of school. I also really wanted to be in Boston."
Leadership in the Community
In addition to the accelerated program, Doherty has found gratifying leadership opportunities at Simmons. As a Bonner Community Leader, she is earning federal work-study funds for service work within the community.
“In high school, I didn’t engage in as many service learning opportunities as I could have because I had to work,” notes Doherty, who values the accessibility allowed by the work study funds.
“There’s a lot of emphasis on experiential learning at Simmons, and a lot of opportunities to try different things. College is a perfect time to do that, so we have an idea of what we want to do.”
The approach has taught Doherty to have an open mind. “When I got here, I thought, ‘only nonprofits!’’” she recalls. “Then I worked with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), which taught me that I could work in the public sector.”
At HUD, she was a fellow in the Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity.
“I did a lot of research on regulations, data collection, and transcripts. That’s the practical side of what I learned,” says Doherty. “I also learned about my workstyle; I don’t want another job that is completely remote. You can learn something from every experience.”
In addition to these experiences, she’s had a chance to connect with like-minded peers through the Bonner Program.
“I really loved the first year trip we took as Bonners! We spent [five days] in Washington, DC.” The focus of the trip was poverty and homelessness fueled by gentrification. When they weren’t organizing clothing donations to benefit people in need, the group had a chance to visit local museums. “It was fun with all of us staying in the house and having that bonding opportunity,” says Doherty.
Leadership at Simmons
Her current internship at the Stephen D. London Center for Community Engagement and Social Justice began with a focus on voter registration and education about the voting process. “This semester, it has shifted to more administrative tasks, as well as event planning.” She’s also working on her Capstone project, recognizing community needs and increasing accessibility in activism. “[For the Capstone], you use all of the skills you learned throughout your internships.”
Doherty’s leadership skills have also been honed in her role as a Resident Assistant (RA) on the residence campus.
“That was a big step in growing as a leader,” she says. “I definitely learned about not being able to please everybody. A lot of conflict resolution skills go into [being an RA]. Throughout my experience at Simmons I’ve learned a lot of life skills in addition to academic skills.”
She’s also learned wisdom and patience.
“I’ve started to acknowledge that I’m 20 and I don’t have to have it all figured out,” she says. “I don’t know what the rest of my life looks like. I can change my mind later or try something new. Right now, I’m interested in civic engagement.”