As he prepares to step into the role of president of the George Washington University Alumni Association (GWAA), Maxwell Gocala-Nguyen has a vision of fostering an inclusive culture so everyone can feel the same sense of belonging he did when he arrived at GW.
“I hope to come out of my term to say that we have engaged more alumni in a dynamic dialogue to better our community,” Gocala-Nguyen said. “I want to make sure that our alumni feel connected to campus, to student life, and to one another because the only way an institution succeeds is when its students succeed.”
He takes over the GWAA presidency on July 1 from William Alexander III, B.S. ’04, M.B.A. ’06 and will serve a one year term.
Gocala-Nguyen, M.A. ‘16, works as the director of undergraduate recruitment and engagement within the School of Business at George Mason University.
He grew up in Youngstown, Ohio, and attended Youngstown State University for his undergraduate degree before moving to Washington, D.C. “Youngstown is wonderful. Growing up there allowed me to do great things. After a while, I felt like it was time for a change,” Gocala-Nguyen said.
While attending YSU, Gocala-Nguyen came out as gay. Over time, he desired to move to a place with more diversity to earn his graduate degree.
“I love Youngstown, but at the time, it was not the most diverse place,” he said. “So, seeing people living the truths that I have wasn’t available. I needed to go somewhere where I could be more authentically me while also looking for my next step in my education and career.”
He applied to several schools, but GW was his first choice, and he was over the moon when he got accepted into the Graduate School of Education and Human Development.
Attending GW was the best decision he could have made for himself, Gocala-Nguyen said.
“I was able to push myself to be the best version of me that I needed to be. It forced me to grow because I was in a new, bigger city and nobody knew who I was. I didn’t know anybody else. I had to learn and grow and adapt in a very rapid environment,” Gocala-Nguyen said.
His experience at GW was a moment of great personal and academic growth. Gocala-Nguyen said he honed his skills at public speaking and connected with students and staff to make improvements on campus.
“The GW community itself was inviting. It allowed me to find a home,” Gocala-Nguyen said.
While at GW, he was on the Finance Committee of the Student Association and helped spearhead the movement to start a food pantry on campus.
At meetings, a common concern Gocala-Nguyen heard was the need for more affordable dining options for students facing food insecurity. He helped take the issue to the Division for Student Affairs and produced data showing the scope of the need on campus. The idea eventually turned into establishing The Store, a student-run food pantry at GW.
“When you have something like that, you have high hopes that it will make an impact because at the end of the day, as long as one person is helped, it means that you’re successful, ” Gocala-Nguyen said.
As he takes on this new role as president of the GWAA, Gocala-Nguyen said he can’t think of a more exciting time to be involved in the GW community.
“The year ahead is going to be very grand,” Gocala-Nguyen said. “There are going to be a lot of changes happening that are turning the page in history for GW with the new moniker and the first female president who is also a member of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s super exciting because we’re truly making history.”
He wants to contribute to the exciting developments and encourage alumni to get involved during this pivotal time. Above all else, his goal is to foster a sense of belonging and acceptance in the alumni community and beyond – one that is inclusive and equitable, so all voices of our global community can be heard.
“Our community is changing, and we need to be able to make sure that everyone feels welcome still,” Gocala-Nguyen said. “Right now, my job is to listen to as many alumni as I can and let them know we want you to be here, and we want you to be involved.”
