Carnegie Mellon University | Heinz College News Nov 01, 2011
Samantha Bushman, a 2008 graduate of the Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM) program at Carnegie Mellon University’s H. John Heinz III College, has been recognized as one of Pittsburgh’s 40 Under 40 by Pittsburgh Magazine and the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project (PUMP) for 2011. She will be honored later this week at a reception held at the Rivers Casino.
The 40 Under 40 awards recognize 40 emerging leaders under the age of 40 based on their passion, commitment, visibility, and overall impact on the region.
Bushman is the CEO of Talk, The New Sex Ed, a Pittsburgh-based non-profit redefining conventional notions of sexuality education. Talk’s mission is to build a national corps of recent college graduates dedicated to empowering teens to make informed, responsible decisions about their relationships and sexual health – and empowering parents to convey their beliefs and values to guide teens’ decision-making. Bushman founded Talk during her time as the Anne and Edward Lewis Post-Graduate Fellow at the Heinz College’s Institute for Social Innovation.
“I feel privileged to be recognized for doing the work I love so much,” says Bushman about being one of this year’s 40 Under 40. “Young people need Talk. I’m grateful to the mothers who participated in the parent program for nominating me and giving me this platform to share Talk’s message with the community.”
She also credits the Heinz College for connecting her with faculty mentors who inspired her.
“I won’t stop until every teen has the knowledge, tools, and support they need to make informed, responsible choices about their relationships and sexual health,” she says.
