Kesha Ram graduated from ̽̽ in 2008 with degrees in Natural Resource Planning and Political Science. She was the first Rubenstein School student and first woman of color to serve as Student Government Association President. The same year of her graduation, she ran for the Vermont Legislature and won, serving at the time as the youngest state legislator in the country. She also served on the ̽̽ Board of Trustees from 2011-2017.
“We are honored to have alumna Kesha Ram deliver the Rubenstein School Commencement address this year,” said Nancy Mathews, Dean of the . “Kesha is recognized for her forward-looking environmental goals and focus on justice. As a Trustee of ̽̽, she understood and advocated for access, accountability, and a strong focus on environmental sustainability. Her support for higher education, love of ̽̽, and environmental advocacy in the community will inspire our graduates as leaders and change makers.”
Kesha served four terms in the Vermont House of Representatives on behalf of Burlington. She sat on the House Ways and Means Committee and was Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources and Energy Committee. She championed legislation for tribal recognition, affordable homeownership, clean water funding, green job creation, immigrant driver’s licenses, fair and impartial policing, and more. In 2016, she ran for Lieutenant Governor of Vermont and, while she did not prevail in the Primary, she became the first woman of color to earn double digits in a statewide race.
After leaving the Legislature, she pursued a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government with a focus on local government law, income inequality, and health care economics. She has worked for the City of Burlington as the Civic Engagement Specialist and for Steps to End Domestic Violence as the Legal Advocacy Director. She also serves on the boards of the Main Street Alliance of Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, and the Vermont Natural Resources Council, as well as Chair of the Vermont Attorney General's Immigration Task Force.
Learn more about the Rubenstein School Commencement Ceremony.