The Class of 2026’s Advice to Students

I think GW is a multiplier. If you put in zero, you'll get zero, but if you put 100% you'll get 100. And so the more you put into GW, the more you'll get from GW. You really have from the first semester on-put 100% and you will get 100% from GW for sure.

Hugo Amat Granier de Cassagnac, M.A in international affairs
Elliott School of International Affairs

I would definitely encourage newcomers to explore the campus more in person. That's one thing that I wish I had done while I was doing my program. Connecting with people in person is so important.

Deborah Barker-Manase, M.A.
Graduate School of Education and Human Development

There's a lot of emphasis on internships and classes after school, but it's fun to just go out and explore the city. Not everything has to be related to school and work. It's OK to let loose and have fun. Don't focus everything on professional development. It's a little bit over emphasized.

Koa DeMarzo, B.S. in political science
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

Take classes that you love. It's easier to focus and do better when you're actually enjoying them.

Kyle Donahue, J.D.
GW Law

Focus on finding good people within your class, within your cohort, because you can't get through this degree alone. You really need to have people that are going to encourage you and challenge you and who respect you and that you can have fun with as well.

Jesse Field, B.S.N.
School of Nursing

It's a cliché, but being open about new experiences and not pigeonholing yourself. 'I came in to do this one specific thing, and that's all I'm going to do'-you can trap yourself with that kind of thinking. Let yourself be exposed to other opportunities and faculty, the class your friend is taking that you would not have thought about. Be open to what GW has to offer. You chose to be here for a reason, so take advantage of that, all the opportunities it provides. Step outside your comfort zone with a new class. If you don't like it, you don't like it! Drop it. Try another one. But once you leave school you have to start working so have fun and be open and challenge yourself.

Kelsey Harris, Global M.B.A.
School of Business

Start loving spending time by yourself, because in college there are moments when you feel like you're being left out. Sometimes everyone seems busy, and sometimes you yourself get busy. I think it is really important to cherish the time you spend with yourself. For example, I would just grab hold of a book and walk to the Georgetown waterfront and read a book for a few hours. I think enjoying the time you spend with yourself is good for your mental health but also gives you time to think about important things, like your life. It gives you a little bit more space to yourself, which is important especially when you're burned out. So, spend time with yourself in a way that you can appreciate yourself.

Isabella Kim, Global M.B.A.
School of Business

Keep an open mind. Have a goal, move with intention and be in the moment. And also, if there is any kind of opportunity that is unexpected but piques your interest, go for it and see. Don't be afraid to ask silly questions. I work here at the university too-when I started my job, I had to make my own path and make my connections. And people are really here to help you out.

Emma Meverden, M.A. in museum studies
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

I would say join more clubs. I was in the Commuter Student Association, which did a few events, but I feel like I should have joined more-it was just hard to juggle with the commute. Our year created a new club called Revolutionaries Tech, which was a software development club, and I went to some meetings but not all of them. I wish I could have gone to more and been more active.

Ian Nappi, B.S. in computer science
School of Engineering and Applied Science

I would say make the most of the city because the city is part of your school as well. There's so much to learn from so many people. You'll meet people from all walks of life. It's really an amazing experience. So you're not just confined to the GW campus. You have so much to explore, and it is an incredibly valuable experience to have.

Sophia Noto, B.A. in graphic design
Columbian College of Arts and Sciences

The best advice that I could give is to do it the best you can. You're not going to do it 100% every single time. Knowing that you can still make the most of it, even though you might not have done as well as you thought you would have-especially if it's an exam, if it is something graded give it your best shot and learn as much as you can from that. Remember to feel things, to think about how you feel about things. GW is a place where reckoning happens all the time, whether it's through campus orgs, whether it's political, whether it's social. Your college experience should be full of moments that make you think and feel things. So pay attention and feel everything, good and bad, and try to do your best.

Reagan O'Brien, B.A. in international affairs
Elliott School of International Affairs

Just be open to exploring different electives and taking different classes, and really try to connect with your peers. I was a remote student, and it could be hard to do online with all of us on Zoom. But I think everyone, even if they don't know it, craves that connection. And it's been great during Commencement to meet a couple of people I've known from my class.

Isabella Rubietta, M.P.H.
Milken Institute School of Public Health

I would say keep an open mind and say yes to as many opportunities as you can, because they'll take you into unexpectedly awesome places. I wanted to work in health policy, but I didn't know anything about it. So when I moved to D.C., I ended up working for a think-tank here, in their global health policy department. That was really eye-opening. It taught me a lot and solidified for me that this is the right decision, and this is definitely a career that I'm hoping to have in the future.

Meredith Wells, M.D.
School of Medicine and Health Sciences