Samantha Maskey (Egan)

YRCS Class of 2001

Samantha (Egan) Maskey graduated from YRCS in 2001. She, and four of her YRCS classmates Thira Gilbert, Clare Jacobson, Shannon Buckley, Ariana Rampy, went on to graduated as Valedictorians from Nevada Union High School in 2005. In the spring of 2009, Samantha received her Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley, majoring in Political Economics as part of an interdisciplinary program that allowed her to design a course focused on Global Democracy and Human Rights. In the fall of 2011 Samantha received a Master’s Degree from the prestigious London School of Economics after undertaking a one-year program in Global Politics. After completing her studies and returning from the UK, she began work at Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development and the Rule of Law, where she engages with scholars, policymakers and practitioners from around the world who are working to advance collective knowledge about the linkages between democracy, sustainable economic development, human rights and the rule of law. Samantha currently works for Minerva Project, a startup university that is reinventing the ivy league model for the digital age.

Samantha is fluent in four languages including Nepalese, Hindi and Spanish. She has traveled extensively in Nepal, India, Thailand and Europe with her husband Dikesh Maskey.

“I think that the most significant way in which my early experiences at YRCS have impacted the person I am today was by providing me with a strong foundation from which I could not only advance my academic studies, but also continue to grow as an individual. The support system that is built by having such an intimate class setting where children form lifelong friendships and get personalized attention that acknowledges and addresses their strengths is truly amazing. The attitude towards life and learning that was instilled in me from such a young age is something that continues to guide me down a positive path in my personal and professional life, helping me to realize my goals and ambitions.