Members of the George Washington University community came together Friday to commemorate the 287th birthday of the commander of the Continental Army and the nation’s first president.
Alex Todd, a senior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, reflected on Washington’s leadership and military strategy during the Revolutionary War, noting the commander’s “extraordinary will to drive on.”
“Washington reminds us that persistence, shaped by a belief in something greater than ourselves, is an immeasurably powerful force,” said Mr. Todd, an ROTC cadet, standing next to the statue of the president on University Yard.
In his remarks, President Thomas LeBlanc also noted Washington’s legacy and leadership of the Continental Army, and added that GW is “proud to celebrate” the more than 1,800 military-affiliated students at the university. GW has been named “best for vets” by The Military Times and has one of the largest military communities of any private research university in the country, Dr. LeBlanc said.
“We are committed to continuing this tradition of ensuring military and veteran student success and access,” Dr. LeBlanc said. “And we hope that George Washington looks down fondly on his university.”
After the GW Brass Quintet played a selection entitled “George Washington Birthday Party,” Dr. LeBlanc, Mr. Todd and Nicole Serafino—a senior in the Milken Institute School of Public Health and U.S. Marine Corps veteran—laid a wreath at the foot of Washington’s statue and held a moment of silence.
