June 10, 2011
Alumni House at 1918 F St., NW, was filled with GW graduates June 9 for the university’s third annual Alumni Reception for Federal Government Employees.
The event, which celebrates GW alumni who have devoted their careers to public service in the federal government, featured remarks by Tammy Duckworth, M.A. ’92, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs in the Department of Veterans Affairs; Richard Sorian, B.A. ’80, assistant secretary for public affairs in the Department of Health and Human Services; Roger Mason Jr., B.S. ’90, associate director of National Intelligence for Systems and Resource Analyses; and GW Men’s Basketball Head Coach Mike Lonergan.
In his introduction, GW President Steven Knapp spoke about the myriad government officials who chose GW to hold events and make announcements the past academic year—including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton—and encouraged alumni to visit often and to “always think of us as your campus home here in Washington, D.C.”
Mr. Lonergan said he appreciated the kindness the GW community has shown him in his first days on campus and spoke about the GW alumni he has known “from the basketball world,” including Red Auerbach, Mr. Lonergan’s “childhood hero,” who often attended Colonial basketball games.
“We’re really looking forward to the season,” said Mr. Lonergan. “I’m looking forward to working with the young men who are returning and hope that our staff can help them reach their goals.”
He encouraged alumni to return to campus for games. “The Smith Center used to be known as one of the toughest places to play, not only in the Atlantic 10 but on the whole East Coast,” he said. “I hope you’ll bring your children and friends and help support the team.”
Ms. Duckworth, who was awarded GW’s first Colin Powell Public Service Award in 2009, recalled her decision to pursue a master’s degree at GW’s Elliott School of International Affairs. Living in Southeast Asia in the 1980s, she was struck by the hardships of Vietnamese street children and remembers seeing faces on television “that looked just like mine.”
“Because my parents were married and I had my American citizenship as a native-born American, I had all these rights and privileges. I knew then that I wanted to go into public service and someday go into the foreign service and work toward becoming an ambassador,” she said. “So I knew from the time I entered college that GW was where I wanted to go because of its success with the foreign service exam.”
Ms. Duckworth said many of her close friends at GW were veterans, and that influenced her decision to join GW ROTC and later the U.S. Army. She praised GW’s early commitment to the Post-9/11 GI Bill’s Yellow Ribbon Program, stating that the university’s support helps maintain the diversity of GW’s student body. “Our vet students contribute to the richness of the education that’s here, and I think the university benefits from them as well,” she said.
Mr. Sorian and Mr. Mason also spoke about their days as GW students and how the university influenced their career choices.
Katherine Sleasman, B.A. ’04, and Denise Sylvester, B.A. ’03, met through Free the Planet, a student-run environmentalist group, during their freshman year at GW and have stayed friends since. They are frequent attendees of GW alumni events and said the university network is a valuable resource.
Ms. Sleasman, who works at the Environmental Protection Agency, and Ms. Sylvester, who works at the Department of Agriculture, said they also enjoy seeing the changes to campus, including the recent renovations to the Charles E. Smith Center.
“A lot of our friends who graduated with us from GW are all still in D.C., so it’s nice to have that built-in family here,” said Ms. Sylvester. “GW has so many alumni events; it’s a great way to meet people and get back in touch.”