Meet the Class of 2021

Georgetown McDonough’s Class of 2021 has shown their resiliency, their compassion, and their Hoya spirit as they completed their studies and prepared to launch careers into a hopeful future.

The Meet the Class of 2021 series spotlights students from across the business school, the country, and the world, who graduate this month to celebrate their accomplishments and the promise their futures hold.

What’s your favorite memory or proudest moment from your time at Georgetown?

“My favorite memory honestly has to be last year’s Global Business Experience (GBE). I was supposed to travel to India to present my team’s final presentation but due to Covid, the trip was cancelled. Of course I was bummed, but the spontaneous staycation that ensued as a result and impromptu experience with my classmates allowed us to make the most of it. I also really enjoyed seeing a lot of the concepts and fundamentals I’ve learned the last four years in action throughout the duration of the project.” – Bryce Badger (B’21)

“There are so many! My proudest moments are almost all related to the opportunities that I have been exposed to by leading the Georgetown Retail and Luxury Association (GRLA). In an in-person world, my favorite memory was experiencing a full Lohrfink Auditorium (402 people) for the GRLA x Costco event featuring founder Jim Sinegal. As the head of operation, I organized this first large-scale event. After this success, I was elected to become GRLA’s first Latin-American president for the 2020-2021 period. In a virtual world, my proudest moments were hosting GRLA’s first Latin-American guest speaker Johanna Ortiz (one of my favorite designers in the region), and also being invited by Estée Lauder Companies’ CEO Fabrizio Freda to present the results of the GRLA x ELC partnership during a Global Business Initiative board meeting. Outside of the GRLA scope, my most special moment has been launching a Georgetown-inspired capsule collection within Clemente. This collection is very close to my heart, especially because the project started as a naïve dream of mine. Just before stepping out of the main gates with a diploma in hand, I wanted to leave a meaningful legacy in the community. The Clemente x Gtown collection means showcasing Latin-American talent to the global network of Georgetown, and more importantly, hopes to inspire emerging Hoya entrepreneurs to dream big, work hard, and positively impact others.” – Ana Lucía, Marín Jaramillo (B’21)

“My favorite memory from Georgetown would have to be one of my first. For my accepted students day, I had a great day in Washington, D.C., where my dad and I walked from the capital building to Georgetown’s campus. It was at that moment that I realized what a beautiful city D.C. is and how lucky I was to be here for four years.” – Hasson Reed (SFS’20, MiM’21)

What is one of the most important lessons you have learned while at Georgetown?

“In order to succeed you need a team that is inclusive, diverse, and respectful of each other. A good team and the collective talent of all teams can generate far superior results that just an individual can. I also learned that to teach is to learn twice and so the more you share and collaborate, the more you learn in the process.” – Ashish Raval (EMBA’21)

“Be open to everything, because opportunities come from unexpected places. A by-chance recommendation to join the Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital club during the first week of the program led me on a path that provided me both my internship and post-MBA job. From observation of others, those who come into the program hyper-focused on what they think their path is miss out on opportunities and end up regretting not being more open minded.” – Frank Coppola (MBA’21)

Is there a particular person that helped shape your Georgetown experience?

“Anne Kilby, assistant dean, MBA Admissions, is the personification of Georgetown’s values. She is an incredible human being who graciously offered me guidance and encouragement throughout my MBA application process and during my two years at Georgetown McDonough. The way that Kilby carries herself, sincerely advocates for and champions students, and continually puts others before herself is admirable and inspiring. She’s had a tremendous impact on my life and I’m grateful to call her a mentor and a friend.” – Mwemba Mwemba Jr. (MBA’21)

“It was truly my entire cohort who most significantly shaped my experience. One of the benefits of the Executive MBA (EMBA) is the ability to tap into the collective experience of executives across multiple sectors and functions. Each individual with his/her talents, strengths, unique perspectives, and life experiences taught me a great deal in learning how to collaborate with, synergize, and highlight the best in people, including myself within group initiatives.” – Mohamed Shawky (EMBA’21) 

What was your favorite class?

“Ironically, Econometrics — the very class I thought I would like the least!” – Jillian D. (MSF’21)

“Personal Leadership Development Plan (PLAP)” – Alexander Kim (EML’21)

“Global Consulting Project” – Dharani Vempati (MSF’21)

“Supply Chains with Professor Ricardo Ernst.” – Rosie Cheng (MiM’21)

What are you most looking forward to as an alumna?

“This will be the first time since I founded KnoNap in 2017 that I will be able to dedicate all my time on the company. I started the company when I was an undergraduate student at the George Washington University. Since then, I have juggled my time between being a student and entrepreneur. Now, as an alumna, I am able to use my business training in growing my start-up full-time in preparation for our launch in 2021. Stay tuned!” – Danya Sherman (MBA’21)

“Taking advantage of the Georgetown network! I also can’t wait to visit my classmates across the country. My friends and classmates are moving all over to do such exciting things.” – Robyn Crowley (MiM’21)

Read all of the profiles