Graduates Share Their Favorite GW Moments and Memories
From salutes to faculty, music collaborations, research opportunities and merging theater and politics, the Class of 2023 has experienced it all.
The George Washington University Class of 2023 graduates will be recognized at Commencement on the National Mall on Sunday, May 21. GW Today asked some of the upcoming graduates to share their favorite memories of their time at the university with our readers. Here is the first group of Graduate Memories:
Parker Blackwell, B.A. Archaeology and Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies
Ultimately, my favorite memories from GW were created when the tremendous faculty brought their diverse and exciting life experiences to the classroom. I love to think back on the eclectic range of my professors, all with fascinating life stories: from a philosophy professor who protested at Tiananmen Square to an international affairs professor who brought guests from Freedom House to our seminars. In this context, it’s no surprise that a final project during my first semester at GW was to live in accordance with a philosophy for a week. I chose Taoism, and although I failed miserably to live in harmony with my restful self, I'll always remember it as one of the most formative weeks of my life.
Zeniya Cooley, B.A. Journalism and Mass Communication
My most memorable moment at GW was the time I attended a Race in America lecture where CNN legal analyst Laura Coates spoke with the activist Raymond Santana about his life.
Mr. Santana talked about his distressing experience with coercive police officers and how being branded as one of the “Central Park Five” (now the Exonerated Five) impacted him. Mr. Santana shared painful stories with the audience, but he also had more joyful moments, where he laughed and his face lit up. I remember thinking that I could almost see the jaunty kid he used to be—the boy who joked with friends and loved to play basketball.
After the talk, I stood up and applauded with tears in my eyes. That night, I learned about grave injustices but also about the beauty and resilience of the human spirit. I will always be grateful to Mr. Santana for his grace, bravery, and that boyish light he still carries.
Ellie D’Andria, B.A. Education Policy and Child Development (Special Interdisciplinary Major)
The GW Jazz Orchestra (GWJO) added a great deal of vibrance to my undergraduate experience. That band is consistently filled with excellent musicians and genuine people. It was where I made some of my closest friends. We played at historic D.C. jazz clubs. I sang at Blues Alley, in the exact spot that Eva Cassidy recorded her “Live at Blues Alley” album in 1996. And there were countless smaller moments of musical magic: when the practice paid off and a note or phrase felt just right, when a soloist surprised everyone with a new idea, when I felt such a deep connection with another member of the band that we played the same thing at the same time without planning it. I love that kind of electricity. I am so thankful for GWJO, and everyone in it.
Kerrie Finegan, B.A. International Affairs
My favorite part of GW has definitely been my time in TEDxFoggyBottom. I joined the student organization my freshman year and have been in it every year since. We spend the whole year planning for our annual TEDxFoggyBottom Conference whether it's recruiting speakers or creating the stage design. Through this org, I was able to meet and work with NASA officials, journalists, non-profit leaders and other incredible people from the D.C. area to help them make their own TED Talks. It was so cool to contribute to something on such a global scale, as all the talks are posted on TED’s website and YouTube channel afterward, some receiving over 1 million views. Not only has this organization helped me develop professionally, but I have made some of my closest friends in college here and am, overall, extremely grateful for my experiences in TEDxFoggyBottom.
Tien Huynh, B.S. Biological Sciences and Cognitive Neuroscience
There are many moments here at GW that I will cherish forever, but the most memorable of all is the summer of my junior year when I got to stay at school and conduct research with funding from the Luther Rice Fellowship. Through this fellowship, I was able to experience what it’s like to be a microbiologist as an undergrad, conducting wet lab research, attending seminars, presenting at conferences and exploring the possible career paths I can pursue with my biology degree. Getting to meet other fellow undergrad researchers and field experts also inspired me to keep pushing the boundaries in research, as well as build friendships and mentorships that will last a lifetime. The opportunities that GW presented during that eventful summer are something that I will always remember and be grateful for.
Julia Kerrigan, B.A. Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences
One of my favorite memories from my time at GW was a Friday in my freshman year when I hauled myself out of my Thurston bed for a Fridays for Future climate action rally. I was rushing over to make sure I could get a good view of Greta Thunberg, and then I looked backward and saw she was walking with her crew right behind me! It was so cool to see such an influential figure and get the perspective that she really is just a young person, like me.
Anita Sagar, B.A. Political Science and Theatre
GW has helped me become a socially conscious storyteller. I came into college with a passion for performing arts and politics but didn’t yet understand how the two intersected. In my second year, my former academic advisor, Matthew Wilson, convinced me to take his graduate course on Decolonizing Shakespeare. I learned how postcolonial and feminist theory could be applied to performance to disrupt and challenge power structures. It’s surreal to be an artist in D.C. because the stories I’ve heard at Congressional hearings and the protests I’ve witnessed outside the Supreme Court now inspire my work. I’ve interned on the Hill and worked on political campaigns, yet my afternoons are spent at theatre rehearsals. I value my time at GW because it has allowed my art and activism to constantly inform each other.