Class of 2024’s Fondest GW Memories

Finding those favorite spots near campus. Making a global impact before graduation. Solidifying lifelong friendships. Connecting with important players in industry. GW 2024 graduates have broad memories of their time at the university.

The George Washington University Class of 2024 graduates will be recognized at Commencement on the National Mall on May 19. Before their big day, GW Today asked a number of the upcoming graduates to share their favorite GW memories. This is the third and last group in the series. Please enjoy these memories from 2024 grads.

Maggie Connolly

B.S. Biology, Minor in Psychological and Brain Sciences

Reflecting on my time at GW, one standout memory is the excitement of uncovering hidden spots throughout Washington, D.C. I was lucky enough to spend this past summer on campus while participating in a research fellowship, and the night of the Fourth of July is one that I will remember forever. As an avid fireworks lover, I wanted to find a great spot to watch the fireworks display. I knew the National Mall would be packed, so I thought of places I could watch without being swallowed by crowds. The top floor of the 1959 E Street residence hall has a great view of the National Mall and D.C. skyline where you can see from the Capitol all the way to the Kennedy Center. Some friends and I brought a picnic up to the rooftop where we were joined by other summer residents cooking out and watching the show. This spot did not disappoint! It was by far the best place in the city to watch the fireworks and turned out to be one of my favorite only-at-GW moments! The college experience at GW is unlike any other, and I am extremely grateful for the time I have been able to spend here.

Zineb Haimoud

M.A. International Education

One of my most cherished memories at GW is when I was awarded the GW UNESCO Fellowship. This extraordinary experience opened my eyes to the world of international education. I spent three months in Morocco as part of the fellowship, working with the UNESCO Maghreb Office. This unique opportunity provided immense professional growth and enhanced my understanding of international education. I am grateful to GW for providing me with such an enriching experience that ignited my passion for creating positive changes on a global scale. Moreover, attending conferences and career fairs at GW helped me build invaluable connections that continue to shape my journey in international education. Reflecting on my time at GW, I realize it was truly transformative and laid a strong foundation for my future.

Katrina Hauser

B.A. Liberal Arts and Sciences

Over the past three years in the School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), I feel very lucky to have met some amazing peers and professors who constantly challenged me to better myself. I always felt supported by the School of Media and Public Affairs staff, and I truly noticed how much they wanted us to have a worthwhile college experience. One of my favorite memories comes from last semester when I took a Broadcast News Writing class with a White House correspondent. He took everyone from the class to a White House Press Briefing and gave us a tour of the grounds. It was a really fun and unique experience.

Hawa Kamara

M.B.A. GW Business

My favorite memory at GW was my capstone trip to Vietnam for a consulting project as part of the School of Business. I am happy to say that my experience overall was more than I could’ve expected it to be. I enjoyed the hot weather, kind natives, busy streets, hustling salespeople, historic landmarks and the overall culture of Vietnam. It was an amazing opportunity to witness all of the initiatives being made to increase the country's presence in the global marketplace and change the narrative of Vietnam for those who’ve never experienced it. Professionally, I grew tremendously because I was challenged by pulling on all areas of my knowledge to apply to my research and analysis. Working with such a diverse team helped me effectively achieve success as a consultant. In addition, creating memories with my peers in the city at restaurants, massage parlors and museums was the icing on the cake. These experiences overall shaped my opinion on what I consider to be one of the best memories with GW and GW Business.

Margarita Kyza-Karavioti

B.S. Biological Sciences

My most cherished memories at GW center on spending time with friends and individuals with whom I feel completely comfortable. Whether it’s walking around Georgetown and the waterfront or simply hanging out watching movies, much of my time is spent in the company of my roommates. One standout memory that holds a special place in my heart is our spontaneous tanning session at the Washington Monument back in 2023. Not only is this a classic GW experience, given our proximity to iconic landmarks, but it deepened our bond. Sharing a picnic while basking in the sun, filled with laughter and joy brought us even closer together.

Christopher Linares

B.S. Information Technology

It’s hard for me to think of my favorite GW memory, but I will say that my favorite thing about being a GW student was the events that I was able to attend. I was a student from the College of Professional Studies (CPS) and took classes in Ashburn, Virginia, but there were several events that I was invited to that took place in the GW Education Center in Arlington, Virginia, and the main campus in Washington, D.C. Through these events, I was able to speak with the faculty of my college, including CPS Dean Liesl Riddle. I also had the chance to listen to speakers from different companies including Morgan Stanley, Accenture, Verizon and Microsoft. I am thankful that I was able to get my education from GW because I really do believe that I was given these opportunities because I was a student here.

Emily Linder

B.A. Communication and Speech Hearing and Language Science with a Minor in Organizational Science

Working with GWTV has been a great opportunity. It was so rewarding to be able to work in a professional TV studio with people who made that experience even better. Also, working with GW Comedy Nights allowed me to practice comedy with such a talented and encouraging group of my peers. Being involved in the National Student Speech and Hearing Association allowed me to help organize community events around speech therapy and hearing health care while having the chance to interact with people I would not have had the chance to otherwise (like ASL interpreters). GW gave me professors who I felt cared about my development as a person and friends who I have made my chosen family. When I graduate, I will miss taking walks to Constitution Gardens. All of the critters who live there will always hold a special place in my heart.

Courtney Middleton

M.A. Art History

When you’re a graduate student in GW’s art history program, you have the opportunity to present your research at an annual symposium in partnership with American University. Your presentation topic is typically what you’ve chosen to write about in your qualifying paper—our version of a master’s thesis—which you submit to the department in the form of an abstract and the faculty elects you for the symposium. I really hoped I wouldn’t be chosen: I have a fear of public speaking and my research was not fully developed, and I didn’t feel good about putting together a presentation on something that was unfinished. However, I was selected, and it ended up being a great experience that allowed me to overcome a fear, bond with my peers, feel confident and get valuable feedback on my work. Most memorably, it opened up new opportunities that I hadn’t previously considered to advance my research and sparked relationships with people I likely would not have met if I did not participate.

Alexia Papatsa

B.A. Dance

Dance has been a big part of my GW experience, and so my favorite memories are usually with my dance peers. In my first semester as a senior, it was my first time working with a cast of 10 dancers, which was challenging but also extremely fun since we are such a tight community. Midway through our process we figured that we needed to find a way to come together and focus on creating a large-scale choreography. I picked up on a move in the piece where the dancers were supposed to breathe deeply as a cue to start improvising and I asked them to take a collective deep breath every time I needed them to focus. It became our ritual every time before and after they performed and during some stressful times. To this day, it is still my safe space memory; when I dance or when I am feeling under pressure, I just take myself back in that studio with them, I breathe in and out, and keep going.