Meet the Class of 2021: Reed Hasson (SFS’20, MiM’21)

Reed Hasson (SFS’20, MiM’21)
Hometown: Torrance, California

What are your post-graduate plans?

I will be taking a gap year to study Russian and practice my Spanish abilities. In the short term, I will be living in Ukraine, Georgia, and Spain. 

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

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 Capitol 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. 

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

I think one of the most important lessons is that the path you enter Georgetown with does not have to be the path and outlook you have leaving Georgetown. Moreover, I think it’s even better to change your career, go abroad, or even take different classes, rather than be focused on the rigidity of sticking to your initial plan. Because of this openness, I tried out numerous activities, such as rock climbing, and took classes like Arabic — which I ended up taking for three years in undergrad. While you certainly won’t love every experience that you have, it will help you calibrate what you actually do enjoy and allow you to learn about yourself on the way. 

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

My first-year Arabic teacher Ghayda Al-Ali was someone who really pushed me to excel at Georgetown and was a nurturing figure for my first two years away from home. While, I certainly improved my non-existent Arabic ability in her class, I really learned what it takes to succeed in a truly rigorous Georgetown environment, and have some fun along the way. 

What was your favorite class?

Energy and Environment in Eurasia.