Hi all! My name is Lee. I'm currently a junior at George Washington and would love to share my experience with anybody considering attending GWU! I tend to keep things very candid and informative, so if you are like I was, torn between schools and not able to decide, I'm here to help.

Hometown

Evanston, Illinois, U.S.

Major(s)

English

Minor(s)

Spanish

Clubs, organizations & involvement

-International Film Club -Caribbean Student Association -SAI

Describe your college experience

The reason that I would give my college experience the "amazing" rating is that I'm a big believer in the idea that college is what you make of it. This is especially true when you're in a city such as DC and on a downtown campus. There is so much that this space offers by way of connections, culture, learning, and pre-professional experience. My transition to college was a bit of a mixed bag. I was happy to feel independent and have more control of my life​/​schedule away from high school, and I connected with a bunch of cool people on campus. With that being said, settling in socially was difficult, and it took me some time to navigate the college scene. However, upon doing so, I feel I've settled into my community and learned about myself along the way.

Tip for future students

If I had to share any tips with future students, I would say, firstly, trust yourself. College is about finding your path, which means learning what you can sustain and commit to for a great deal of time to achieve your own standard of success. This is no light task, and it requires you to go outside of your comfort zone to learn about things you might never have been exposed to. I think a great way to do this is by being involved in the student organizations with which you feel a deep connection. There, you'll meet similarly oriented individuals with whom you can share your thoughts.

Favorite class

It's tough to say which is my favorite class, because I've enjoyed some great professors thus far. One of my favorite classes was an American Studies graduate-level course, which I took in my sophomore year. Being that this is a 6000-level course, I had to apply to take it. For me, the challenge of this course was part of what made it interesting. I ended up meeting a lot of cool grad kids who dropped some interesting tidbits of knowledge. I still talk with some of them today, and am close with the renowned Professor Ivy. Classes were structured as Platonic-style lectures, so they were mostly dialogue-based and relied heavily on the students' own work with the readings. This created an environment in which students were able to engage their own experiences and findings with more established texts. Also, the Professor always had a very genuine and light-hearted aura about her.

Career goals

After college, I plan to get some work experience before applying to law school. I've recently come back from a (GW-sponsored) study abroad program in Madrid and really fell in love with the idea of expanding my work outside of the country. This is also why I am minoring in Spanish, and I have been thinking about ways to incorporate this desire into my career. This might mean teaching after college back home in Chicago, or maybe going out of the country to start work there. Either way, I am motivated by a desire to expand my own skill set and eventually contribute to the advancement of education for the youth. As a hobby, I like to think over marketing strategies, so I sometimes incorporate that interest into the internships​/​side jobs that I do over the summers. Prior to this year, I was involved in a global language organization in New York that helped kids outside of the U.S. to become bilingual. I've also been fortunate enough to do some work at the UN headquarters in New York for a political internship, and I want to incorporate my passion for politics​/​political change into whatever work I find in this ever-competitive economy.

Ideal way to spend a free night

Admittedly, a free night at GW is rare, and campus is home to a conglomeration of career-driven kids. With that being said, people manage to find time. DC is almost unmatched when it comes to a sense of community. I love listening to live music and performances, and enjoy dancing as well, so I personally like to go to some of the more niche bars and venues in the city. I'd be happy to share them with you! I'm also fortunate that some of my friends are DJ's, so a free night in DC sometimes just means listening to my friends' music.

High school or secondary school

-Evanston Township High School

Previous college

N​/​A

Favorite spot on campus

While this might be a boring answer, I'd have to say my favorite place on campus is Kogan Plaza. Being from the Midwest, Spring felt more like Winter. But getting the opportunity to see the cherry blossoms bloom in Kogan and everybody come out of their dorms in the springtime really is pleasant. Additionally, the library is located in Kogan, so it is the first space that I would see after a long study session. Sometimes I'll run into people I know, seeing as people like to hang around and chat on nicer days.