The decision process included an application—including everything from a personal statement to pictures—and a phone interview for the finalists to narrow the field.

An important part of the application process was the portion devoted to the plans that each woman had for the future.

“I plan to work in international development—global economics is what they called it in the magazine,” Dell said. “More specifically, I hope to work with those who tend to be impeded by societal injustices—most notably women and minorities—helping them to break down structural barriers and take advantage of opportunities that they might not otherwise know about or have the support to pursue.”

This work has taken Dell to places far from Harvard’s campus. Last semester, Dell studied abroad in Chile, researching the benefits of immigration to the United States for the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Currently, Dell is writing her economics thesis on how the North American Free Trade Agreement affects the female labor force in Mexico.

During her research on the topic over the past couple of years, Dell has spent her spring breaks leading high school conference committees on women’s studies in Latin America.

In previous years, Glamour Magazine named the first women accepted to The Harvard Crimson editorial staff to this annual list.

Additionally, the first Hispanic female Rhodes scholar and Martha Stewart, amongst others, have been past nominees.

This year, each woman named to the list was given a cash award and a trip to New York City to meet with the other winners and professionals in their respective fields, as well as a gift basket from the list’s sponsor, L’Oreal.

—Staff writer Gabriel M. Velez can be reached at gmvelez@fas.harvard.edu.