Hi everyone! My name is Alina and I am an undergraduate student at the Walsh School of Foreign Service. I love learning new languages (I just earned my Spanish proficiency at Georgetown!) and love meeting new people. In the past few years, I traveled to Costa Rica and Panama to learn Spanish and engage in local volunteer efforts. I enjoy spending time in nature, whether that means hiking to a mountain summit in Acadia National Park or walking on a nature path nearby Georgetown campus. I am a creative person, so I enjoy painting acrylic landscapes and drawing pencil portraits of people. I hung up most of my artwork on my dorm wall last year! Last summer, I worked for an art nonprofit in NYC called Creative Art Works to create a 5-panel mural installation for a real estate company. This summer, I will be interning in the public programming sector of the Central Park Conservancy in NYC. As part of the job, I will help host a local music festival and chess competition. I am currently exploring different career paths, but am intent on pursuing my degree in International Relations.

Hometown

New York City, New York

Major(s)

Culture & Politics, Science Tech and International Affairs (STIA)

Minor(s)

Environment and Sustainability Studies, Certificate in Diplomatic Studies

Clubs, organizations & involvement

Georgetown University Club Democrats (GUCD), No Lost Generation (NLG), First-year Orientation to Community Involvement (FOCI), Preply Online Tutor, ESCAPE

Describe your college experience

The summer before freshman year, I applied to a social justice-oriented preorientation program called FOCI and got in! It was only a week long, but it served as the strongest possible foundation for my introduction to Georgetown. I met almost all of my closest friends during that week and got to participate in several community service projects. I also got to learn about social justice initiatives near Georgetown and I came to appreciate how service-focused the university is as a whole. My first semester was tough but manageable in terms of class difficulty, coming from an academically rigorous high school. I took an upper level statistics course, Maps of the Modern World, Microeconomics, Advanced Transatlantic Spanish I, a Philosophy course called Political and Social Thought, a seminar on migration in and out of Africa, among others. I learned so much in such a short period of time and felt like I was constantly studying. However, I still made time to hang out with friends and go to fun on-campus events like Georgetown Day and Fall Fest. I also ate a lot of meals and had many (probably too many) late night study sessions with friends. By second semester, I got into a nice routine and tried to go the gym (Yates) a couple of times a week to stay active. I also took one less class and started doing online tutoring work to make some extra cash on the side. Thus far, I have found lots of small, vibrant communities on campus and spaces for reflection. I particularly enjoyed my time with FOCI and the ESCAPE 27-hour overnight retreat. *Additionally, I am someone who has lots of food intolerances (gluten, dairy, soy, and nuts) so if you have food restrictions and are concerned about the on-campus dining situation, I am happy to share my experiences.

Tip for future students

There is a requirement to take 2 theology classes, but the school is nowhere near as religious as I initially thought. I am an atheist, but culturally Jewish, so I was a little worried that I would feel out of place at a Jesuit institution like Georgetown. Yet, the one theology class that I took so far (The Problem of God) was actually very interesting! I got to learn about the problem of evil and suffering through the lens of multiple religions (Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Taoism, Confucianism, Shinto, etc;). We even had a unit on atheism at the end! As someone thinking about going into diplomacy​/​the foreign service, I realize now that having an understanding of different world religions is vital to connecting with people from various cultures.

Favorite class

Advanced Transatlantic Spanish I & II Even though this class required immense dedication and effort, I think it was really worth it in the end. It was one of my main classes that met three times a week and built a strong, lasting community. During the first semester (Advanced I), my class had 10 people and during second semester (Advanced II), I believe there were 18. Because of the small class size and the collaborative projects and assignments we often completed, we all became really tight-knit. Additionally, the class exposed me to new media, including podcasts in Spanish from Radio Ambulante as well as movies and historical documentaries about Spain and Latin America. Truthfully, my high school Spanish class felt like a joke compared to this course. At Georgetown, my Spanish professors required us to write many timed in-class essays, complete numerous oral and written exams, and complete detailed homework assignments every other night. In the end, though, I felt like I became much more proficient in Spanish grammar, speaking, writing, and comprehension than when I began. I am so grateful to have had the experience.

Career goals

I am interested in becoming a diplomat and working for the State Department. However, I could also see myself working at an international thinktank or working in the conservation field with an international NGO like the World Wildlife Fund. Ideally, I want to do something that involves speaking a foreign language and connecting with individuals from different cultures.

Ideal way to spend a free night

I love going on late night walks or bus rides with my friends to restaurants or food spots in Arlington! Some of my favorite places include Pho 75 and Playa Bowls. I also like walking into Georgetown to visit food and boba spots like Insomnia Cookies and Moge Tee, respectively. I also love to go to Georgetown's free dance fitness classes at Yates (the on-campus gym)!

High school or secondary school

Bronx High School of Science (New York City, New York)