For most Millbrook students, free time in the school day means grabbing food at the snack bar and hanging out with friends in the Barn. But for Lucy Papachristou ’14, those quiet moments at Millbrook were spent reading and researching history and current events in the Schoolhouse Library.

Lucy’s innate curiosity and drive to understand the world around her kicked off her career as an international journalist, where she has traveled from the bustling streets of London to the political protests of Tbilisi, Georgia. Now a professional journalist for Reuters, one of the largest news organizations in the world, Lucy’s journey highlights how the lessons learned here on School Road can carry you into a truly impactful life.

Lucy joined the Millbrook community in her junior year, looking for a change from the fast-pace of her home in New York City. Although she had the choice to go to other boarding schools, Lucy notes that she “...chose Millbrook because its community felt charming, and it turned out to be exactly the right place.” During her time here at Millbrook, she was a regular in the library for both studying and for her community service, and she even started a comedic newspaper called “The Yolk.” When she wasn’t at the library cozying up by the fireplace and reading a good book, Lucy could be found exploring the outdoors surrounding campus, on the rink with her JV hockey team, or pushing herself on the softball field. In the classroom, Lucy thrived thanks to the small, personalized environment Millbrook provided. She recalls a Chinese class where she was one of only two students and states, “That level of attention was incredibly rare and meaningful,” going so far as to say that the teaching at Millbrook was exceptional. Lucy’s ability to thrive in boarding school not only aided her transition to college but also spurred her along on her path to becoming an international journalist.

After graduating in 2014, Lucy attended Carleton College, where she decided, after tackling Mandarin, to study Russian as a new challenge. Little did she know that her fascination with the Millbrook Library’s collection of Eastern European literature would eventually land her a job reporting on European conflicts. While she didn’t always know that she wanted to be a journalist, Lucy’s love of writing and curiosity about the world led her to the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism. Her big break came in 2022, when Russia invaded Ukraine, and her Russian skills helped her land a job at the Reuters Moscow Bureau.

Currently, Lucy lives and works in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. While she is part of the Moscow Bureau, she works remotely from Georgia to cover the South Caucasus, a region that includes Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There, she monitors official Russian press conferences, writes breaking news stories, and spends weeks developing longer feature stories that can take months to develop. In addition, being on the ground allows her to contact and build trust with politicians, protestors, or other journalists firsthand.

Even though it is a topic not widely covered in major news sources, Lucy explained that “Georgia is going through one of the most serious political crises of its post-Soviet history,” as she described the place as a “fascinating place to report” due to its culture and historical complexity. Interestingly, the journalists there face increasing pressure from the government as the Kavelashvili presidency attempts to curb dissent.

Looking back, Lucy says that Millbrook was the perfect training ground for her career. Moving to a new school halfway through high school forced her to step out of her comfort zone and build relationships from scratch. She says that these essential skills are something she uses every day in her job, especially as she interviews strangers for her articles. In addition, Lucy says that “Millbrook also fostered my curiosity about the world. That mindset, being interested, observant, and engaged, has been essential in my work.”

Even as she reports on international crises thousands of miles away from campus, Lucy remains connected to her Millbrook roots. Her advice to current students is: “Stay curious, embrace the unique opportunities Millbrook offers, and don’t be afraid to take a path that may lead you far away from home.”