Harvard University notable alumni
Although a student's ability determines whether they do well in academics or not, there is a close link to the school one attended and their success. Have you ever wondered why some schools seem to produce professionals in the world today regularly? Such success could be because they have all the facilities needed in learning and an ingrained culture of excellence passed on from one generation of students to the next. Some highly regarded institutions of learning have mastered their excellence in art and have a remarkable performance record and produced great professionals such as the Harvard University notable alumni.
Harvard University is among the highly esteemed institutions with an absolute commitment to teach, learn and research, and develop world leaders who make a difference globally. True to their approach, the school has a list of notable alumni of Harvard University.
Various world’s best musicians, politicians, engineers, scholars, presidents, doctors, and military personnel hold this institution as their alma mater. The success of Harvard is what many institutions strive to emulate to nurture students who become phenomenal leaders in the future. Although the school only enjoys the praise and the recognition, the individuals' focus in life drives them further in life. However, the contentment that comes from attending Harvard is worthwhile.
This piece focuses on the successful and famous Harvard University alumni.
Notable Harvard University alumni list
Right off the bat, the Harvard University alumni are some of the most influential people in the world. The alumni are public figures known worldwide for their acumen in their professions. They range from television personalities, actors, musicians, to politicians. You may already know some of these alumni but read on to find out who is on this list.
1. Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg is one of the Harvard University alumni who is well known for being a co-founder of Facebook and is the current Chief Executive Officer of this company. He was born to a psychiatrist mother and a dentist father who after realizing his passion for technology at an early age nurtured him to achieve his big dreams. His father taught him the Atari Basic Programming, and later he developed his first innovation, Zucknet, which could link up all computers from his house to the dental office and help them communicate with each other.
This Harvard University notable alumnus was raised up in a Jewish family and attended the Ardsley High School, Phillips Exeter Academy and John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth before joining Harvard University. He continued to try and test new things in technology until one day alongside his friends Chris Hughes, Andrew McCollum, Dustin Moskovitz, and Eduardo Saverin launched Facebook in their dormitory in 2004. This social site was first the campus then expanded rapidly due to the popularity and enthusiastic created. Today over 5 billion people are Facebook users. Since then, the company has gone public selling its shares.
Mark Zuckerberg is only 34 years of age, yet he has been ranked by Forbes in the list of the World’s Most Powerful People and by the Time Magazine as the most influential and wealthiest people in the world. He has many honorary awards. Zuckerberg is about $72.2 billion rich, which makes him lead the list of notable alumni of Harvard University.
READ ALSO: These tips from Mark Zuckerberg on health will help you
2. Bill Gates
Gates is yet another exceptional technologist the world has ever produced. He is the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation; one of the largest and the industry leader in the PC software companies. This company is his biggest success to date has he launched it alongside Paul Allen in 1975. He is one of the significant figures in the company having held various positions in the company such as Chief Software Architect, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the group. However, he has since then stepped down from active leadership but is still affiliated with the company. He currently runs Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation where he dispenses his philanthropic acts.
Bill Gates is an American business mogul, an investor, author, humanitarian and philanthropist. At the age of 62, he sits backs and is content with being a vital role in the computer revolution being experienced in the world today. He once topped the Forbes List of the World’s Wealthiest People but has since then been surpassed by other entrepreneurs including Amazon CEO, Jeff Bezos. Apparently, he is about 93.4 billion US Dollars. He is also linked to TerraPower, Branded Entertainment Network, and Cascade Investment.
He is one of the Harvard College University notable alumni who has made a significant impact in the world today and whose legacy will live long after him. Bill Gates began showing interests in programming and technology while at the Lakeside School and his mother and father cheered him along. It is while at school that he took the GE System programming subject and later developed an interest in DEC PDP minicomputers. So when he enrolled at the Harvard University, he knew crystal clear what he wanted and studied programming.
READ ALSO: Amazon CEO 'knocks off' Bill Gates to become the richest person in the world
3. Barrack Obama
Obama is one of the popular public figure known globally today. He was born in 1961 as Barrack Hussein Obama and was raised up in Hawaii. He is fondly remembered for being the 44th president of the United States and the first African American President of the United States. Before rising to the presidency in 20th of January 2009, he has served in the Illinois State Senate from 1997 until his timely promotion to becoming the Junior United States Senator in 2005 a role he carried out until 2008.
Barrack Obama is an alumnus of Columbia University and Harvard School of Law. Initially, after completing his first degree, he began working as a community organizer in Chicago but in 1988 enrolled at the Harvard University – School of Law to study law. His exceptional leadership qualities made him be given the role of being the President of the Harvard Law Review – he was the first Black person to get such an appointment. It is after graduation that he became an attorney, professor, and lecturer at the University Of Chicago Law School teaching constitutional law. He then ventured into politic and rose to become a powerful man, the President of the United States.
He is married to Michelle Obama another notable alumni of Harvard University and has two daughters. Mr. Obama is a successful man in business having invested in many sectors of the economy, and through his leadership, America has experienced great revolution. He holds the title of Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 and Profile in Courage Award in 2017.
4. Michelle Obama
She was born Michelle LaVaughn Robinson although after getting married to Barrack Obama in 1992, she adopted the name, Obama. She is a lawyer by profession and has the Princeton University and Harvard University as her alma mater. He early years as a legal professional were spent at a legal firm, Sidley Austin where she met her husband, Barrack Obama. Elsewhere, she has worked for the University of Chicago as the Dean of Student and later as the President for Community and External Affairs in the same institution at the Medical Center.
However, Michelle Obama is not known for her professional life but by her husband Presidential election. She campaigned for him throughout 2017 and 2018 and delivered compelling addresses to the masses in the bid to wow them and convince them to vote for Barrack Obama. Her efforts did not go unpaid as after the election; President Barrack Obama emerged the winner leading the country for two terms until 2017.
She is the First Black First Lady of the United States. Laura Bush preceded her and succeeded by Melania Trump. During her tenure as the first lady, she advocated for poverty awareness and eradication, education, nutrition, healthy living and become a role model to many. Her fashion sense is something the strikes vibrantly in this phenomenal woman as she is a fashion icon. He style and fashion are unique and a right balance of modernity, femininity, and royalty. Similarly, she is an African American by descent married to Barrack Obama and together has two Daughters, Sasha and Malia. She makes to the list of Harvard University notable black alumni alongside her husband and daughter.
READ ALSO: Michelle Obama's White House photographer shares stunning behind-the-scenes moments from her job
5. Malia Ann Obama
She is the daughter of Barrack Obama, the 44th President of the United States of America and Michelle Obama, all of which are in the Harvard University alumni List. Well, she may not have done much with her life but she enjoys overwhelming popularity rooted from her parents’ contribution to the society. Malia Ann Obama is the eldest daughter of Barrack Obama who just likes the mother, is growing into becoming a global face.
She has just enrolled at Harvard University after taking Gap years from high school where she did an internship with the Spain embassy. She is just a fresher man, but the young girl is determined to be one among the many notable alumni of Harvard University. In fact, she is not the kind that would want to be known by her parent’s title, despite all the fame and glamour Malia has maintained a low profile at the Harvard School.
Malia Obama is a beautiful lady who men eye in vow to win her heart. Many have expressed their intention with some being daring enough to ask for the father’s permission as a plus and to be viewed as a gentleman. Well, we may need to sit back and wait what drama unfolds. She is humble despite having been raised in White House; the parents were always firm enough to let their two girls do some house chores. She will soon be a graduate from Harvard, and we may have to watch what remarkable difference she will make in the world just like other famous Harvard University alumni.
READ ALSO: Malia Obama savagely attacks Weinstein despite interning at the renowned producer's firm
6. George W. Bush
George Walker Bush was the 43rd President of the United States of America, and another notable alumnus of Harvard University. He is from a family with an esteemed reputation in politics. He is the son of George H. W. Bush the 41st President of the United States which makes his the second of the Bush family to ascend to the presidency. Jeb Bush was a Florida Governor; John Quincy has held executive positions in the high offices while Prescott Bush, was a onetime Connecticut Senator.
He is known for waging war on terror a few months after he was elected to the high office. He was behind the international military raid and rescue missions in Afghanistan and Iraq. His government majorly dealt with issues of social concern such as security, surveillance, humanity, and immigration. His subsequent re-run for the presidential seat was hotly contested with the Democrat Senator John Kerry following him closely.
George W. Bush studied at Yale University and later at Harvard University. He took a graduate course in business and this makes him appear in the Harvard University Alumni List. He shortly worked for an oil company before unsuccessfully running for a US House of Representative seat. He, however, did not give up his political ambition as in 2000 was elected the President of the United States. He is married to Laura Welch, and he is a successful businessman and politician.
7. Natalie Portman
She was born in Jerusalem to her mother, Shelley, a homemaker and her father, Avner Hershlag who was a gynecologist and reproductive fertility specialist. It is when Natalie Portman was three years that the family relocated to the United States. Natalie Portman has dual citizenship for America and Israeli. She is one of the seasoned actresses in the world today with great acumen needed in the industry and is one among many famous Harvard University alumni.
The family settled in Washington DC, and Natalie began schooling at the Charles E. Smith Jewish Day School in Maryland, she would later join the Solomon Schechter Day School, Syosset High school and then at the American Theater Dance Workshop where her dream of becoming an actress began being groomed. Today she has been featured in numerous television show, movies; Thor, the Dark World, Closer, Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium and No Strings Attached and series – Star Wars. She has also hosted several shows such as Saturday Night Live. Her first film directive role was in A Tale of Love and Darkness, but she has since then produced many more films.
Natalie Portman enrolled at the Harvard University to study art and is one of the notable alumni of Harvard University. She is professionally a film producer and actress who has actively been in the industry since 1992. She is married to Benjamin Millepied and is blessed with two children.
7. Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks despite being talented is well educated too and is on the Harvard University alumni list. She is an American by nationality and is a jack of all trades but amazingly has mastered all the trades. She is a model and and entreprenuer some of the things that have made a big chunk of her fortune and is credited to her popularity. Banks is an actress, author, television personality, producer and a virtuous businesswoman.
Growing up in a white dominated hood was difficult for her as kids would tease her as an ugly duckling for being black. However, she ventured into acting shortly after school and has been featured in many films such as the Fresh Prince of Bel-air, Higher Learning, Life-Size, Coyote Ugly among many others. Similarly, she is one of the high earning models and has been on top covers such as on Sports Illustrated SwimSuit issue and GQ.
Banks has produced various television entertainment shows including America’s Next Top Model where she was a judge, America’s Got Talent and the Tyra Banks show. She is an author and has written great pieces including Modelland which in 2011 was dubbed the New York Times Best Seller. This Harvard University alumnus has been severally ranked among the world’s most influential people by the Time magazine. She has honorary awards from the Daytime Emmy Award among other gala events that acknowledge talents and contribution to the society. Musically she has produced many songs including KOBE and Be a Star.
8. Priscilla Chan
She is the wife of Facebook founder, Mark Zuckerberg. She is of Chinese decent although her family few the Vietnamese war and settled in Massachusetts where she was born and raised. Her elementary education was at Quincy High School before she got enrolled in Harvard University for a medicine course where she met Mark Zuckerberg. The two became friends, then lovers and finally got married.
In 2007, Priscilla Chan graduated with honors in a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and had concurrently been taking Cantonese, Spanish and English languages. She later furthered her education at the University of California. She is an accomplished pediatrician although she majorly is involved with the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative a foundation that is focused on the well being of people especially in matters of politics, health, and education. Priscilla Chan is a notable face and one of the famous Harvard University Alumni. Through Facebook shares, they have donated well over $45 billion to support disease cure research and about $4.6 billion to charity.
You must have seen people embrace their teachers with gratitude for having guided or instilled something into their lives and are now grateful. It is always great when one finally graduates thanks to many pieces of advice.
What makes the Harvard School is by far and large a multi-diversified institution with students from many ethnic backgrounds, geographical areas and color. However, their commitment to teaching all is the unifying factor.
There are many Harvard University alumni because the school has enjoyed many years of excellence since it was established many years ago and every year they have a bunch of graduates ready for the job market. Although not all Harvard graduates end up successful and famous, there is a general sense of the graduates doing well in life.
READ ALSO: Ivy League universities courses you can take for free online
Source: YEN.com.gh
