What Georgetown Taught Me About Leadership and Purpose

A finance graduate who transferred to Georgetown in pursuit of both academic rigor and a values-centered business education, McGinnis Harvey (B’26) found a community that shaped not only his professional ambitions but also his perspective on leadership, service, and personal growth. Through his involvement in organizations like First Generation Investors as well as transformative experiences in the classroom, Harvey embraced opportunities to lead with purpose while exploring the broader impact business can have on society. 

Harvey graduated in December 2025 and will return to the Hilltop for commencement this spring. In this Q&A, he reflects on the people, moments, and ideas that influenced his Georgetown experience and the path he has pursued after graduation. 

Why did you decide to pursue your undergraduate degree at Georgetown McDonough?

I grew up in a small town outside of Athens, Georgia, and originally began college at Georgia Southern University, where I was part of the Honors College and attended on a full-ride scholarship. Growing up, I was heavily involved in entrepreneurship and initially imagined building my career around starting my own business. However, after taking finance courses and being mentored by a professor who introduced me to the world of high finance, I became convinced I wanted to pursue a career in that field.

That realization ultimately led me to transfer to Georgetown. What drew me to McDonough was the combination of academic rigor, vast opportunities to begin my career in finance, and Georgetown’s values-centered approach to business education. I wanted an environment that would not only prepare me professionally but also challenge me to think more deeply about leadership, responsibility, and the kind of person I wanted to become.

Looking back, transferring to Georgetown was one of the best decisions I have ever made. The relationships I built, the mentors I learned from, and the opportunities I was given shaped me in ways I could not have anticipated when I first arrived on campus.

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

It is difficult for me to point to one singular memory because, in many ways, what I miss most is the rhythm of everyday life at Georgetown. Walking back from class through campus, seeing friends at Leo’s or Yates, or late-night runs to Wisey’s all became part of an experience that felt deeply memorable.

What made Georgetown special to me was not only the opportunities it provided but also the sense of community and shared ambition that existed throughout campus. There was a unique combination of intellectual seriousness, friendship, and purpose that shaped my experience in ways I did not fully appreciate until graduation.

I think many alumni feel a strong affection for their universities, but Georgetown truly feels one-of-a-kind. The relationships, conversations, and environment pushed me to grow constantly, both personally and professionally.

Is there a particular person in the community who has been important to your experience at Georgetown?

One person who had a profound impact on my experience at Georgetown was Professor Jonathan Fine in the Philosophy Department. I took his Introduction to Philosophy course during my junior year, and it remains one of the most important classes I have taken.

Professor Fine had a remarkable ability to make complex philosophical questions feel deeply personal and relevant. He challenged us to think seriously about questions like what it means to live meaningfully, how we ought to treat others, and how to examine our own assumptions critically rather than accepting ideas at face value.

His class fundamentally changed the way I think. Since then, I have continued studying philosophy independently, and many of the ideas and habits of thought I developed in his classroom continue to shape how I approach my career, relationships, and life more broadly.

What has been your favorite course at McDonough and why?

One of my favorite courses at McDonough was Strategic Management with Professor Tian Chen. The course captured what made my experience at Georgetown unique, going far beyond basic business knowledge. Rather than focusing solely on frameworks or textbook theory, Professor Chen emphasized leadership, vision, and the broader societal responsibilities businesses have.

The class helped me think about organizations more systemically. I began to see how decisions, incentives, culture, and long-term vision all interact to shape outcomes, both within companies and in the broader world. It also reinforced my belief that business can be a powerful force for good when leaders are guided by clear values and purpose.

More than any individual lesson, the course changed the way I think about leadership in business itself.

Tell us about your work with First Generation Investors. Why did you choose to get involved, and what were your greatest accomplishments?

When I first arrived at Georgetown, I attended the Council of Advisory Board (CAB) Fair and noticed a lightly crowded table for First Generation Investors (FGI) sitting among much busier recruiting-focused clubs. I didn’t let that bother me because the mission resonated with me immediately. Growing up, I saw firsthand in my community how a lack of financial knowledge can contribute to instability, stress, and limited opportunity. Financial literacy has always been something I care deeply about, so discovering an organization directly working to address that problem was an incredible opportunity. 

I joined FGI during my first semester as a tutor and eventually served as a vice president before becoming the chapter president. During my time in leadership, one of our main goals was expanding both our reach and impact. When I joined, the organization partnered with two classrooms in the community virtually and had a relatively small membership base. By the time I graduated, we were serving four classrooms in person, supporting roughly 80 high school students each semester, and had grown to around 40 active tutors. Through the program, underserved high school students in D.C. received hundreds of hours of tutoring and over $10,000 in funds to be invested on their behalf.

Most importantly, none of that growth happened individually. Our executive board, tutors, and members built an incredibly committed community, and I was fortunate to work alongside people who genuinely cared about serving others.

What are your post-graduate plans?

After graduating in December 2025, I joined Scholars of Finance full-time as a leadership coach. During my time at Georgetown, I also served as president of the university’s Scholars of Finance chapter, and the organization’s mission strongly aligned with many of my own values.

In my current role, I support student leaders across the country by coaching chapter presidents and helping develop leadership and professional programming for thousands of students pursuing careers in finance. Much of the work focuses not only on helping students succeed professionally but also on helping them to lead with integrity, purpose, and strong character within the financial industry.

The role has given me the opportunity to think deeply about leadership development, organizational growth, and the kind of culture we want future business leaders to create. It has been an incredibly meaningful way to begin my career.

What advice would you give to the next class of Georgetown students?

My biggest piece of advice would be to prioritize growth, learning, and meaningful experience over prestige alone. Georgetown students are incredibly ambitious, and there can sometimes be pressure to pursue the most recognizable firms, titles, or career paths. While those opportunities can be valuable, I think it is important to ask a deeper question about who you are becoming in the process.

One of the biggest shifts in my own thinking came when I stopped evaluating opportunities primarily through external markers of success and started thinking more carefully about development, responsibility, and purpose. During college, I pursued a fairly traditional path within high finance and had received an offer to join Houlihan Lokey after graduation. However, over time, I realized I was increasingly drawn toward entrepreneurship and mission-driven work. Ultimately, I decided to pursue a different path with Scholars of Finance because it aligned more closely with the kind of impact and life I wanted to build in the long term.

That experience reinforced something important for students to remember: prestige is not always correlated with fulfillment or growth. The experiences that shaped me most were often the ones that challenged me to lead, build relationships, solve difficult problems, and contribute to something larger than myself.

I would encourage students to spend time reflecting on their values, the kind of life they want to build, and the type of person they hope to become. Once those questions become clearer, decisions about classes, internships, clubs, and careers begin to look very different.