Bridging Art and Diplomacy: An Alumni Interview with Brooke Samaratunga ’18

From Breck to the United Nations, Brooke Samaratunga enjoys connecting cultures. A "super-lifer" at Breck, Brooke’s journey has taken her from Minneapolis to Hartford, London, and now New York City. We sat down with her to discuss her recent graduation from Columbia University, her work at the UN, and her vision for the future of international relations.

Alumni Office (AO): To start off, can you introduce yourself and tell us what you have been up to since graduating from Breck in 2018?

Brooke: I am currently in New York City, but I have been to quite a few places since graduation. I went to Trinity College in Hartford, where I double majored in Art History and International Studies and minored in Chinese. I definitely credit Breck for that interest since I started the language in kindergarten. After college, I worked in corporate immigration at a law firm in Minneapolis for two years. It was a high-stress, fast-paced environment where I learned how to manage multiple deadline-driven assignments while balancing the priorities of multiple stakeholders. Now, I am just two weeks away from graduating with my Master's in International Affairs from Columbia University.

AO: You also spent some time in London recently, right? How did that come about?

Brooke: I was interning at a law firm there through connections from my former employer. It was a very special summer because my twin sister and older brother both got London internships at the exact same time. I am not sure how the stars aligned for that, but it was amazing to be there together.

AO: That is so great! Brooke, you recently landed a pretty big internship at the United Nations. What has that experience been like?

Brooke: Working at an international organization has been a lifelong goal. I am currently interning with the Department of Global Communications under the Civil Society Unit at the UN. We are doing a lot of background work for the upcoming secretary general election in September, and I am also consulting for UNESCO on climate justice education. It has been great to see how these organizations function in different capacities.

AO: What an incredible opportunity! Brooke, with all that you are doing now, where do you see yourself in ten years? Is it different from what you imagined as an Upper School student?

Brooke: It is very different. When I left Breck, I thought I wanted to do business or economics, but one college class cured me of that. Now, I want to pair my interests in Art History and International Relations. I am interested in using art as a tool of diplomacy, whether that is preserving historic sites with UNESCO or working on art restitution and returning stolen artifacts to their country of origin. I'm applying to art history master’s programs to build that expertise.

AO: We can’t wait to see what you do in the future. Your desire to help others started pretty early in life. You and your siblings started a company called SrimaTea back in 2014. Is that still a part of your story?

Brooke: Definitely. It started as my older brother’s May program project, and we later received a philanthropy grant at Breck. My siblings and I stayed heavily involved throughout the process. We sourced tea from Sri Lanka, where my parents emigrated from, and sold it to local shops and the Breck community. The proceeds went back to a nonprofit in Sri Lanka that provides healthcare to rural families. We named it in honor of our grandmother. It was a steep learning curve, but a great way to connect with our heritage.

AO: That’s really beautiful, Brooke! Okay, last question: looking back at your time as a super-lifer at Breck, are there any faculty members who really made an impact on you?

Brooke: There are so many, from Lower School through graduation. Rob Johnson has always been in my corner, and he inspired me to chase my dreams. Brad Kohl and Adam Ruderman were teachers who encouraged me to believe in my own potential. I also think of teachers like Barbara Jacob-Smith, Jean Wang, Marcy Wegner, and Elizabeth Powers, with whom I have remained in contact with and have been great support systems. My parents always say that sending us to Breck was one of the best decisions they made when they first moved to this country. Breck taught us through words and action, how to form, nurture, and foster community. It also instilled in us that a community can take many shapes and forms of people with shared values coming together to support each other. We all feel very grateful for the community there.