Senior Alyssa Abraham has packed at lot into her three years at George Washington.
The organizations she’s been active in include the Women’s Leadership Program, Mount Vernon Campus Residential Advisory Council, Mount Vernon Campus Programming Council, National Society of Collegiate Scholars and International Affairs Society.
Ms. Abraham also has an internship at the State Department and is a member of the house staff in West Hall, where she advises students and organizes residence programming. She’s lived on the Mount Vernon Campus since coming to GW in 2009—something that she said has enabled her to experience the “best of both worlds.”
“I could still take classes and be involved on the Foggy Bottom Campus in the center of the city, but I could also come back to a quieter, more intimate college campus setting,” she said. “Working on house staff has allowed me to help others adjust to college and utilize the great resources the Mount Vernon Campus has to offer.”
In addition to her current position in the State Department’s Bureau of Legislative Affairs, Ms. Abraham has also held internships with Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) and the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District.
Working at an organization like the Department of State has been a goal of Ms. Abraham’s since her first trip to the District as a Senate page in 2008.
“I visited GW’s campus and had coffee at the Starbucks by Gelman Library and thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if I went to GW?’” she said. “It was the first time I was exposed to the university and all the different possibilities in D.C.”
“I love how GW students are not only involved on campus but also engage with what is going on in the city and even abroad,” she said. “They are active participants in the community and have encouraged me to be the same.”
One of her favorite George Washington memories was the massive snowstorm in 2010.
“During ‘snowpocalypse,’ a few of my friends and I were able to use the hills on the Mount Vernon Campus to go sledding,” she said. “Mount Vernon Campus Life provided sleds and hot cocoa. It was so great to see the campus come alive with students playing in the snow.”
Although she is graduating early, Ms. Abraham said she has no immediate plans to leave the city she now calls home. She hopes to pursue a career in conflict meditation, a field she was first introduced to during a class at the Elliott School of International Affairs and through her work as a member of the house staff.
“I’ve really enjoyed and made the most of my opportunities at GW, but it wouldn’t have been possible without the Women’s Leadership Program, my professors and mentors on house staff,” she added. “I’m very grateful to everyone at the university who’s helped me get to where I am today.”