My final semester at George Washington University has arrived! After a semester-long leave last spring, Ireturned to DC in September for my final year. The leave was much needed, and gave me time to reconnect with my family and self at home. I had the honor of learning about gardening/landscaping with an experienced Vineyarder, as well as working with Circuit Arts’ children’s theatre program as a counselor. I also spent the weekends with the MV Playhouse’s wonderfully talented Fabulists, performing interactive theatre for (and with!) a fabulous young audience. Feeling reinvigorated, I returned to school for Fall 2024. The fall semester brought several fascinating courses. In Religion, Myth, and Magic, we discussed definitions of religion globally and engaged in thoughtful analyses of what social functions these concepts perform. My Forensic History & International Affairs professor, a director at GW’s National Security Archive,introduced us to the world of FOIA and the methodology of interpreting and utilizing declassified information(Rule #1: Be prepared to wait a few decades!). In my Cartography/GIS course, I learned valuable mapping software skills that I used to contribute over 2000 nodes to an Open Source map of Martha’s Vineyard. Classes this semester are off to a great start. These include a microbiology course on Pandemics and Epidemics, International Economics, International Development, and a couple of French courses focusing on both France and Francophone regions. At the close of this semester in May 2025, I am proud to say that I will graduate with a double major in International Affairs (concentration in Global Public Health) and French Language &Literature from GWU. This genuinely would not have been possible for me without the help of MVYouth, and I am forever grateful for the effort and generosity that goes into making this program possible.