On my Harvard experience: In my first year at HLS, I lived off-campus in Brookline with my boyfriend. That year, there was a blizzard during my first semester exams, and there was no cancellation and no extensions. You could barely walk outside, but I just had to get on a bus, get on the subway, get to the exam center and take the exam. That was a lesson for me -- that I have to plough forward through challenges. There's no excuse, including a blizzard! I'm always on, always multitasking, always multi-achieving. That experience will forever stay with me.
On making a difference post-Harvard: Big infrastructure projects in Africa, such as power plants and airports, are often financed out of either London or New York. Since Madagascar is a Francophone country, almost all of these projects come out of London, with some financing documents originating from Paris. I've found that it has made a difference to have a Harvard-trained, English-speaking lawyer facilitating these transactions. When I would go to London to meet with bankers and law firms, I would often be the only Malagasy in the room. These have been pivotal moments for me. I think it made a difference.
On Impact: I was invited to join the board of an environmental endowment fund, where I applied my legal skills. In 2004, the fund was valued at $3 million, and today it has grown to $150 million. The fund now finances national parks in Madagascar. Many donors for this kind of funding are multilateral or bilateral organizations. For example, France contributed 20 million euros through a debt swap—rather than Madagascar's central bank repaying the debt, they allocated the funds to our project. These contributions can only happen when there is trust in good governance—clear rules, a transparent and accountable board, sound investment and disbursement policies, and thorough reporting.
I am often asked to take on leadership roles without actively seeking them out. For instance, I was invited to be part of the national soccer federation's committee during a transitional period marked by governance issues and corruption. My role was to help manage the board and restore order. These roles come because you become a trusted advisor, and it's meaningful work for the country.
Governance is the common thread in all of this. Lawyers, in particular, are essential for ensuring that boards follow bylaws and operate properly. This is also true for organizations like FIFA. In the past, FIFA would distribute money freely to all federations, but now, funding is increasingly contingent on transparency, good financial management, and adherence to rules and procedures. Without good governance, accessing funds is much harder.
In 2019, Madagascar reached the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations, which was during the period we were in charge. We had ensured everything was done properly, from purchasing tickets to awarding contracts, putting the team in the best possible conditions to perform. Unfortunately (as a country), we haven't been able to replicate that success since.
On Failure: Coming from Madagascar, I didn't have the kind of network that many American students had—those connections that come from having professional parents who are familiar with the world of American business. When I arrived at Harvard, I knew I wanted to pursue project finance, but I didn’t have much guidance and was too shy to seek it out. Honestly, I didn’t even realize I needed to ask for help. So, I followed the crowd when it came time for job interviews in the second year—the critical period when summer jobs often lead to long-term employment.
I had set my sights on New York or Washington, D.C., but I didn’t get an offer, and it was absolutely devastating. Harvard prides itself on placing nearly everyone, and I was one of maybe five people who didn’t secure a position. I felt like quitting and dropping out entirely. But to their credit, Harvard didn’t give up on me. They kept looking, and I eventually got an interview in San Francisco—and I got the job, in project finance.
It was pure luck in some ways because the utility company in California, Pacific Gas & Electric, was privatizing its electricity production, and that opened up an opportunity. At the same time, the dot-com boom was in full swing, with everyone heading to Silicon Valley. I ended up in San Francisco, which wasn’t bad at all, and I benefited from the rising salaries driven by the tech boom. For the next six years, I worked on project financing, including the tripling of California’s power grid. What started as a devastating setback turned into one of the best experiences of my life, in a wonderful city.
The key lessons I took from this experience are: always seek guidance and ask for help when you need it, but also, every failure has a silver lining. If one door closes, another will open, and what seems like the end of the world might just be the start of something even better. Looking back, I’m incredibly thankful for how things turned out, even though it felt bleak for a while.
On Advice to Current or Prospective African Students: Stick to your interests, and you will find your way. I knew I would be returning to Madagascar, even when many people questioned how I could possibly go back with a Harvard law degree. During the summer after my first year, I received a stipend from the African Legal Studies Center, which allowed me to return to Madagascar and intern at USAID. The internship focused on legal reform in the country, and it was exactly the kind of work I was passionate about. The lesson here was: never set aside your own interests just to fit into what others expect of you. By staying true to what matters to you, opportunities will emerge. There is always a path.
