Melinda Pavek '92: Connecting from halfway across the globe
Melinda Pavek lives in Kolkata, India.
Generosity Matters is a series of spotlight stories about alumni who give back to Augustana College.
“Opening minds to different perspectives and new ideas, and teaching people how to think for themselves and work within a community is the most important work of an educational institution, and Augie did that very well for me.”
That is the fundamental motivation behind Melinda Pavek’s philanthropy.
Pavek graduated in 1992 and made her first gift to Augustana during her senior year. She’s given every year since.
Pavek paid her own way through college, so she knows how hard it is to work and study at the same time. “I want to be able to make it more affordable for current students,” she said.
Keeping connected to her alma mater is important to Pavek, who gives of her time and talent as well. She served on the alumni board for three years and has spoken to student groups on campus several times.
With degrees in political science, economics and Asian studies, Pavek has been a foreign service officer with the U.S. State Department since 2004. She was appointed the U.S. Counsel General to Kolkata, India, where she currently lives.
“The first U.S. counsel to Kolkata was nominated by President George Washington in 1792, so I feel the honor and responsibility of almost 230 years of relationship and history in the work my team and I do each day,” she said.
“Augie taught me about the existence of Foreign Service officers and the State Department, and how to travel internationally thanks to my participation in the Asian quarter in 1989. Without Augie I don’t know where my professional or personal path would have taken me.”
Pavek encourages others to give back to Augustana as a reminder of what the college has given them. “I believe in the work that Augie does and that it gave me a foundation that I have built on to reach my goals, and I want to help repay that gift of the education I received.”