Mentor Spotlight: Lydia Cawley

At 13, Lydia had one dream—become a sports medicine doctor—and knew exactly how to get there–attend the local science magnet school. 

But at the end of the year, the unimaginable happened: Lydia didn’t get in. The failure forced her to pivot, to rethink how to apply her passions and strengths.

She says it was the best thing that could have possibly happened to her. 

This failure set Lydia on the path to success. In the absence of sports medicine, she discovered classical literature and languages, the ancient world and linguistics. 

Fast forward to 2022, and Lydia speaks five languages, worked for the U.S. Embassy in Algiers, assisted archeological excavations in Greece, and programmed for museums in Washington, DC, and Amman, Jordan. She’s earned a joint bachelors in both Classics and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations from Harvard and a Master’s from the University of Cambridge, where she researched modern Arabic poetry adapted from ancient Greek tragedy.

Lydia is living proof that passion-finding is a roundabout discovery process that rewards risk-takers. 

At Curious Cardinals, we’re proud to employ over 350 mentors like her: exceptional, passionate, inspiring. 

Learning from mentors like Lydia goes beyond mastering subject matter. It gives students the confidence they need to relentlessly follow their own curiosity, because they know failure is not just a pit stop on the road to success.

It’s an integral part of it. 

Want to find a relatable mentor who suits your student’s interests? Fill out our get started form or schedule a brainstorm call to explore which member of our team would be perfect for you.