Vanessa Kerry
Encyclopedia
Vanessa Bradford Kerry is the younger daughter of John Kerry
and his first wife, Julia Thorne
. She gained national recognition while campaigning for her father during the 2004 presidential election
.
. Her father, John Kerry, is the Senior Senator from Massachusetts
in the United States Senate
. Her older sister is Alexandra Kerry
. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Bozeman, Montana
. She attended the high school, Phillips Academy
in Andover, Massachusetts
.
On October 10, 2009 in Boston, Kerry married Brian Vala Nahed, a Neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.
with a major in biology
. While a student at Yale, she played for the varsity
lacrosse
team. After graduating with her bachelor's degree
, she went to the London School of Economics
and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she received a master’s of science in health policy, planning and financing. While in London, she was a Fulbright Scholar. Afterwards, she attended the Harvard Medical School
from where she graduated with Honors. There, she interned with the Vaccine Fund of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
, founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she conducted a study on immunization in Ghana
. She later studied and advised on government relations for health and development in Rwanda.
She has continued work in international health and has collaborated on projects in Haiti through the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. She is also actively working on public sector partnerships in Uganda through Massachusetts General Hospital. She finished a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital
in 2010.
She recently scribed an op-ed in the New York Times on providing scholarships and loan forgiveness for health professionals to work abroad as part of a new form of international diplomacy. She is co-leading the effort for a Global Health Service Corps, a federally funded program for skilled medical professionals to work for health system strengthening and human resources for health (Global Health Service Corps).
. She campaigned by herself and with her sister, mostly focusing on campaign stops at university campuses. She made speeches in support of her father and focused on health care
issues and tuition
costs for students, two Democratic campaign issues she felt personally attached to. She appeared in print as well, being interviewed by Ben Affleck
for the September 2004 issue of Harper's Bazaar
, as well as Ms. Magazine
. She also appeared on the MTV Music Video Awards show in Miami where she joined George W. Bush
's daughters to encourage voting. Through her work with her father and her public health policy education, she has not ruled out running for political office in the future.
She is a former member of the Board of Directors of Young Democrats of America
. She was recently elected as a term member to the Council on Foreign Relations
.
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
and his first wife, Julia Thorne
Julia Thorne
Julia Stimson Thorne was a writer and the first wife of U.S. Senator John Kerry.-Early life:Thorne was born in New York City. She was the daughter of Alice Smith Barry and Landon Ketchum Thorne, Jr. Her brothers are Landon Ketchum Thorne III of Beaufort, South Carolina and her twin brother David...
. She gained national recognition while campaigning for her father during the 2004 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
.
Early life and family
Kerry's mother, Julia Thorne, was an author, who died in 2006 due to transitional cell carcinomaTransitional cell carcinoma
Transitional cell carcinoma is a type of cancer that typically occurs in the urinary system: the kidney, urinary bladder, and accessory organs. It is the most common type of bladder cancer and cancer of the ureter, urethra, and urachus...
. Her father, John Kerry, is the Senior Senator from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. Her older sister is Alexandra Kerry
Alexandra Kerry
Alexandra Forbes Kerry is a film producer and film director.Alexandra Kerry is the elder daughter of current Massachusetts Senator and 2004 US Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry. Her mother was Julia Thorne, who was married to John Kerry from 1970 until their divorce in 1988. Alexandra...
. After her parents divorced, she moved with her mother to Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman, Montana
Bozeman is a city in and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States, in the southwestern part of the state. The 2010 census put Bozeman's population at 37,280 making it the fourth largest city in the state. It is the principal city of the Bozeman micropolitan area, which consists...
. She attended the high school, Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy
Phillips Academy is a selective, co-educational independent boarding high school for boarding and day students in grades 9–12, along with a post-graduate year...
in Andover, Massachusetts
Andover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
.
On October 10, 2009 in Boston, Kerry married Brian Vala Nahed, a Neurosurgery resident at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Education and career
Kerry graduated summa cum laude from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
with a major in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
. While a student at Yale, she played for the varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
team. After graduating with her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
, she went to the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she received a master’s of science in health policy, planning and financing. While in London, she was a Fulbright Scholar. Afterwards, she attended the Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
from where she graduated with Honors. There, she interned with the Vaccine Fund of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization
The GAVI Alliance is a public-private global health partnership committed to saving children’s lives and protecting people’s health by increasing access to immunisation in poor countries...
, founded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, where she conducted a study on immunization in Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
. She later studied and advised on government relations for health and development in Rwanda.
She has continued work in international health and has collaborated on projects in Haiti through the Harvard Medical School Department of Global Health and Social Medicine. She is also actively working on public sector partnerships in Uganda through Massachusetts General Hospital. She finished a residency in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
in 2010.
She recently scribed an op-ed in the New York Times on providing scholarships and loan forgiveness for health professionals to work abroad as part of a new form of international diplomacy. She is co-leading the effort for a Global Health Service Corps, a federally funded program for skilled medical professionals to work for health system strengthening and human resources for health (Global Health Service Corps).
Political activity
Kerry took a leave from her medical studies in order to campaign for her father's presidential bid in 2004, even introducing him at the 2004 Democratic National ConventionDemocratic National Convention
The Democratic National Convention is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1832 by the United States Democratic Party. They have been administered by the Democratic National Committee since the 1852 national convention...
. She campaigned by herself and with her sister, mostly focusing on campaign stops at university campuses. She made speeches in support of her father and focused on health care
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
issues and tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
costs for students, two Democratic campaign issues she felt personally attached to. She appeared in print as well, being interviewed by Ben Affleck
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck-Boldt , better known as Ben Affleck, is an American actor, film director, writer, and producer. He became known with his performances in Kevin Smith's films such as Mallrats and Chasing Amy...
for the September 2004 issue of Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, as well as Ms. Magazine
Ms. magazine
Ms. is an American feminist magazine co-founded by American feminist and activist Gloria Steinem and founding editor Letty Cottin Pogrebin together with founding editors Patricia Carbine, Joanne Edgar, Nina Finkelstein, and Mary Peacock, that first appeared in 1971 as an insert in New York magazine...
. She also appeared on the MTV Music Video Awards show in Miami where she joined George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's daughters to encourage voting. Through her work with her father and her public health policy education, she has not ruled out running for political office in the future.
She is a former member of the Board of Directors of Young Democrats of America
Young Democrats of America
The Young Democrats of America , founded in 1932, is the official youth arm of the Democratic Party of the United States, although it severed official ties with the Democratic National Committee following passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 and became an independent 527 group...
. She was recently elected as a term member to the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
.