Bridgit Mendler’s wild career path: from Disney kid to dual degrees from MIT and Harvard

From Disney to Harvard.

Bridgit Mendler has had quite a career after starring in several hit Disney shows and making a name for herself as a musician.

After leaving TV, the actress obtained several degrees from some of the country’s top schools and announced that she was launching her own space startup.

Read on to find out more about Mendler’s wild career path.

Disney days

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After acting in several films and shows, Mendler took her talents to the Disney Channel.

In 2009, she became a recurring character in the Disney Channel series “Wizards of Waverly Place.” She appeared in 11 total episodes of the series, which ended in 2012.

Mendler also became the star of the Disney Channel Original Series “Good Luck Charlie” in 2010 and the following year, she starred as Olivia White in the lead role in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Lemonade Mouth.” 

She starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Good Luck Charlie, It’s Christmas!,” which premiered in December 2011.

Music career

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Mendler began her music career in the 2010s, making her singing debut by contributing to the soundtrack of “Lemonade Mouth” in 2011.

After signing with Hollywood Records, she released her debut studio album, “Hello My Name Is…,” the following year. The project peaked at number 30 on the Billboard 200.

Mendler released two additional EPs, “Live in London” and “Nemesis” in 2013 and 2016, respectively.

“I feel like I’ve poured the most of myself of anything I’ve done into this project. That’s been a very therapeutic process,” she told MTV News of “Nemesis” in September 2016.

“You add layers to who you are, add different textures and colors. Maybe some are more dark and unfamiliar, but then that winds up being a new way we can know each other.”

USC – undergrad

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After Mendler took a step back from her musical career, she began to focus on her education.

The “Alice Upside Down” actress earned a degree in anthropology in 2016 while studying at the University of Southern California.

MIT – M.S. and Ph. D.

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In May 2018, Mendler announced on X that she started a graduate program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a focus on improving social media.

“hey guys 🙂 hope you are having a good day wherever you are,” she tweeted at the time. “wanted to say i’m gonna be starting a graduate program at MIT which means I’m gonna be juggling a couple things for a little while.

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“I’m taking this time out to study is very connected to how i feel about social media. As an entertainer, for years I struggled with social media because I felt like there was a more loving and human way to connect with fans. That is what I’m going to study.”

Mendler completed an M.S. in media arts and Sciences at MIT and is currently working toward receiving her Ph. D. from the institution.

Harvard – JD

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According to Mendler’s LinkedIn account, she enrolled in Harvard Law School in 2021 to obtain her Juris Doctor. She also served as the co-president of Harvard Space Law Society from 2022 to 2023.

She is slated to graduate from Harvard in 2024.

Northwood Space

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In February 2024, the “Merry Happy Whatever” alum announced that she was the co-founder and CEO of Northwood Space, a startup that’s already scored $6.3 million in funding including from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund and Andreessen Horowitz.

“Expect the unexpected!” she tweeted at the time, adding that Northwood Space had their “sights on building a data highway between earth and space.”

“We are designing shared ground infrastructure from first principles to expand access to space,” she added. “We have a lot of work ahead of us but that’s the fun part. If you like building quickly and seeing your work deployed in locations around the globe with real impact, we want you at Northwood.”

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Hours after announcing her space startup, Mendler revealed that she and her husband, Griffin Cleverly — whom she wed in October 2019 — secretly adopted their first child.

“The other news I wanted to share is I’m a mama to a sweet 4yo boy,” she tweeted alongside a photo of the two at the beach.

“Started fostering in 2021 adopted near Christmas of 2022,” Mendler added. “I’m so lucky — being a parent is the biggest gift and most defining experience there is.”