Alumni news
Geraldine Acuña ’88 For Geraldine Acuña ’88, Fort Worth Country Day provided her with the foundation to succeed—and to give back. Her love for Country Day remains strong, despite the fact that she lives and works in Boston. She maintains a house in Fort Worth and visits campus when “home,” sharing it with her three children. “I bring them back for summers now and again because I want them to know why mommy loved her school so much,” Acuña said. A Harvard University graduate, Acuña serves as senior counsel at Bracebridge Capital, a fixed income hedge fund with more than $9.5 billion in net assets under management. Her practice is primarily focused on derivatives and counterparty trading negotiations. Acuña credits her foundational skill set to Fort Worth Country Day’s challenging academics and engaging teachers who tapped into her love for learning. She cites Ford Dixon, Tawny Kilbourne, Diane Orr, Sharon Hamilton and Norma Wilkerson H’07 for making her grapple with life’s big issues. John Killion is the FWCD teacher that made the greatest impact on Acuña. “Mr. Killion was so passionate and full of life, and he made me love Shakespeare,” she said. “I can still recite verses from The Merchant of Venice by heart. He made literature come alive.” Joining FWCD as a sophomore, Acuña always felt like she belonged. “We had a very smart class. Those of us in the top were all less than a tenth of a point apart in GPAs,” Acuña said. “We were all friends who also wanted to be the best in whatever we were doing.” When it came time to apply for college, Acuña chose only one: Harvard. “I thought FWCD was intense because I thrived on the classes, while knowing that I had to do well,” she said. “I only applied to Harvard. Looking back, that was crazy, but fortunately, I got in. And I got in early. Best holiday gift ever.” At Harvard, Acuña was well-prepared for her college classes. She graduated with high honors from both Harvard College and 38
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Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and later earned a JD from Columbia Law School, where she graduated as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. Acuña strives to live FWCD’s mission each day and is inspired to give back. Recently, she’s become a mentor to Shree Bose ’12. “Shree reminded me of my younger self. We both did science fair in school,” Acuña said. “I won top awards in the state, but Shree, of course, took it to a whole other level. I am proud of her.” Acuña also mentors other Harvard students. “I love interacting with students who are engaged and curious about the world,” she continued. “They are our future leaders, and I would be honored to be even a small part in helping them fulfill their potential.” Humanitarian endeavors also are close to her heart. In 2013, Acuña took one of the first flights into Manila to help with relief effort after Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. She translated for rescuers and volunteered with UNICEF, the Joint Distribution Committee and other partners. This past November, she presented “One Year Later” at UNICEF’s Children First Speaker Series in Boston. Acuña’s affinity for the Philippines stems from her earlier career roles consulting for the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry and interning for the chief justice of the Philippine Supreme Court. In addition to being a mother and a successful attorney, Acuña also serves on the boards of the Resolution Project, which funds college students who start social ventures all over the world, and SheGives Boston, a venture capital style circle of high-powered women who invest in the Boston community. She sits on the boards of the Harvard Alumni Association, Harvard College Fund Executive Committee, Harvard Kennedy School of Government Alumni Executive Council, Columbia Law School and Massachusetts General Hospital President’s Council. Acuña always will be grateful to FWCD for giving her such a strong foundation on which to build her life. Her advice to today’s students: “Have the courage to be who you are,” she said. “There is only one you with your unique talents and gifts. You are here for a reason—to make the world a better place.” WI NTER 2015
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