Zephyrine Thompson - George Washington University

IMG_1348.jpg

My first semester at the George Washington University was very different from how I always imagined it would be. Because of the pandemic we were unable to move to campus, instead completing the entire semester online. Although it would have been fun to move to DC, I found that having online classes actually presented me with opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have had: I spent the semester with an awesome family on the Vineyard, living and taking classes in their guest house and nannying for them outside of class time. In addition to this, I quickly discovered that the online aspect of my classes didn’t diminish how interesting they were! As an international relations major, my classes encompassed international and comparative politics, mathematics and politics, and a wildly challenging (but super cool!) Arabic language class. I was able to meet and talk with several of my professors during their office hours, and made some great friends in my smaller classes as well. One of my favorite things about this semester was the amazing line-up of virtual speakers presented by George Washington University. At the beginning of the semester, I had the opportunity to attend a webinar with Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer- everyone was asked to submit a question before the event, and mine was one of the questions chosen! Listening to a Supreme Court justice answer my question was one of the most surreal things that has ever happened to me, and it made me so grateful to be at George Washington University. Thank you from the bottom of my heart MVYouth, for supporting me in my academic career and opening the door to all these incredible experiences. Thank you for all that you do, and I can’t wait for next semester!