Charles Bentley

Tufts University, The Fletcher School, Masters in Law and Diplomacy

Charles “Charlie” Bentley grew up in Springfield, Missouri in a family that struggled to make ends meet. When he was 10 years old, his mother underwent brain surgery to survive a rare and incurable brain disorder, a procedure which resulted in his mother’s lifelong battle with chronic pain and disability. At a young age, he understood what it meant to be part of a family facing crisis. He graduated magna cum laude from Carleton College and has committed his professional life to protecting and supporting low-income families with disabilities. After graduation, he was awarded a Watson Fellowship, where he designed and pursued a year-long, independent passion project. He lived and worked in South Africa, Togo, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Indonesia exploring how deaf people access aid and opportunity. When he returned to the US, he partnered with Boston hospitals and local government agencies to create a new counseling and employment program for people with disabilities who have experienced psychological trauma. Concurrently, in the evenings, he worked as a research assistant for a law firm, helping to write cases that protected low-income families from corporate abuse. He will attend the Tufts Fletcher School to obtain a Masters of Law and Diplomacy, focusing on human security.