The George Washington University Class of 2026 graduates will be recognized at Commencement on the National Mall on Sunday, May 17. Before their big day, GW Today asked a number of the upcoming graduates to share their favorite GW memories. Here are some responses from our GSEHD graduates:
Nicole Tran, M.A., Organizational Leadership and Learning
I will always cherish the connections I’ve made with my OLL cohort and faculty and the rich learning experiences that came from those relationships. OLL is a truly special program, and I feel so fortuitous to have found this program when I did. My favorite memories involve connecting with my classmates both in and out of the classroom and using those experiences to further our passion for learning, leadership and making the world a better place. In particular, traveling to Belfast, Northern Ireland, with Dr. Maria Cseh last summer to study international and multicultural issues in organizations was an indelible experience that transformed my life and worldview in remarkable ways. While this trip taught me a lot about the robust culture and history of Belfast and the diverse organizations that call that city home, my most valuable insights were about myself, my own culture and my beliefs regarding the nature of life itself. I not only gained more trust in the world and humanity, I also cultivated more trust in myself and my own capabilities. I know now that I will always be welcomed into any space I walk into as long as I make enough room for them too.
Christy Anthony, Ed.D., Higher Education Administration
In fall 2018, I had barely enrolled in my first semester of GSEHD’s higher education doctoral program. My then-advisor, Dr. Meggan Madden, emailed me that the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean was seeking a speaker on gender-based violence in higher education for their conference in Chile, co-hosted by Chile’s Ministry of Education. Dr. Madden knew the topic was an area of experience and interest for me, and she also knew I had just begun my doctoral journey, a new job, and that my life included parenting a young child and caring for an aging parent. I felt intimidated, excited, hesitant and eager, all at once. Dr. Madden and my spouse were so encouraging and supportive, and I am forever grateful that I went, spoke my piece focused on supportive measures for victims/survivors/complainants, and heard from other experts across the Americas. I left that conference feeling capable, meaningful and connected to colleagues that continue to inform my consulting work and research regarding culturally relevant pedagogy and sexual misconduct education.
Michael Lami, M.A.Ed&HD, Organizational Leadership and Learning
My GW experience can be captured by this picture with my wife, a good friend and brother-in-law. I am surrounded by family right before the Army 10 Miler! As 20,000 of my fellow runners joined together, experiencing the sights and sounds of D.C. made for an incredible memory. Being at GW in the heart of our nation's capital gave me the opportunity to embrace the unique DMV culture, history and community. I will forever cherish this time in my life, and for years to come, I will reflect on the great experiences and memories that could have only been possible because of my time at GW.
Jennifer Locane, M.A. Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling
When I first attended GW as an undergrad from 2001 to 2005, I also planned on getting my master’s in art therapy. But as someone with then-active Crohn’s disease, I had to stop with two bachelors. Despite the challenge, I always held on to my dream of getting my master’s at GW. That’s why returning 20-plus years later in 2023 to get my master’s in clinical rehabilitation counseling was especially meaningful. Dr. McGuire-Kuletz introduced me to the field of disability advocacy through this hybrid-remote program. She interviewed me and when she accepted me, I told her she was helping me close a long saga of hospital-ICU stays, surgeries and healthcare battles, to start a new book of learning, healing and engaging in post-traumatic growth.
Other favorite memories include serving with the Ethans [Fitzgerald and Lynne] and many inspiring student leaders in GW’s Student Government Association 2024-2025, co-planning the 2025 Denim Day event, working on a pilot peer-advisor program for sexual assault survivors with GW’s Title IX team, interning with GW’s Collaboratory: a Center for Jewish learning, Shabbat dinners at Chabad when I visited and so many more.
Monica Burmicky, Ed.D., Higher Education Administration
What I’ll carry most from my time at GW is the people who shaped how I learned and who I became. My memories are rooted in collaborative, immersive experiences: co-writing papers with classmates, debating perspectives that challenged my own, designing curricula for courses that didn’t yet exist and simulating policy briefings. GSEHD faculty expanded those moments by bringing in authors, university leaders and guest speakers who pushed us to think more broadly and act with intention.
All of this built toward my dissertation, some of the most meaningful work I have ever done. Early on, I scheduled 45 minutes with my chair, Dr. Deniece Dortch, to review a chapter; she gently told me it wouldn’t be enough, and consistently made the time for deep, thoughtful engagement with my writing and research. That balance of rigor and genuine care defined my GW experience and is what I will carry with me.
Cody House, Ed.D., Curriculum and Instruction
For more than a decade, I’ve had the privilege of working at George Washington University with the College of Professional Studies, and one of my favorite traditions has always been volunteering at commencement. Every year, I would stand there watching graduates cross the stage, seeing the joy, relief and pride on their faces after years of hard work. It was impossible not to feel inspired by those moments.
While I was cheering them on, I was also quietly imagining my own day. As a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Education and Human Development, I often thought about what it would feel like to finally complete my doctorate. That vision kept me going through long nights of studying, balancing a full-time career, starting a family, navigating the uncertainty of a pandemic and handling every unexpected curveball life could throw my way.
Now, reaching this milestone feels especially meaningful because I’ve spent so many years celebrating others. This time, I get to celebrate my own journey, and that memory will stay with me forever.
Jessica Taylor, M.A., Education and Human Development, Organizational Leadership and Learning
My time at GW has been defined by the realization that leadership isn’t just a title; it is a practice of lifelong learning. As a graduate program associate supporting our nursing students, I often found myself applying the theories from my organizational leadership and learning courses in real time. My academic journey didn’t just exist in a textbook; it breathed life into my professional service on the Staff Council, my professional role and various university committees.
Beyond the office and the online classroom, the most profound lesson was the one I taught at home in Leesburg. Showing my eight-year-old daughter, Holland Taylor, that her mother could be a dedicated professional and a curious student simultaneously was an invaluable added bonus. I carry with me the memory of her seeing me study and realizing that education doesn’t end with a single milestone. As I graduate, I leave with the certainty that being a lifelong learner has made me a more empathetic leader, a more effective colleague, and a role model for the next generation.
Zainab Zainy, M.A., Organizational Leadership and Learning
A day that I will never forget is my first day of class at GW. After many years away from school, I returned to the classroom happy and nervous at once. I met my cohort for the first time. It was inspiring to see the diversity of backgrounds, experiences and interests that brought us all together in the same room. From the very beginning, the group was warm and welcoming, and we quickly connected with each other. It felt like a family from day one. Everyone brought enthusiasm, curiosity, knowledge and innovation, which made our class environment so energizing and supportive. On that first day, the journey ahead felt long and uncertain, and now, standing here as I graduate, I feel a bittersweet sense of gratitude for how far we have all come.
Read the full article (Part 1) in GW Today
Read the full article (Part 2) in GW Today
Live from the National Mall: It’s GW’s Class of 2026
Deborah Barker-Manase, M.A., Graduate School of Education and Human Development
Q: Do you have a favorite “only at GW” moment?
A: I think it was really the moment of just discovering so much that is out there in terms of disability policy and education services and I couldn't have done that without so many moments of learning in the program that I was in. I loved all of my classes. They were all so relevant for me because I am the mother of an autistic young man. I can’t really say which one was my favorite because they were all so relevant to our personal experience as a family.