Tag: Reflections

Posted on

A Thanksgiving Reflection on the Spirituality of Gratitude

A view from Georgetown’s Calcagnini Contemplative Center during last month’s Graduate, Professional, and Law Student Retreat. This week’s post invites pre-Thanksgiving reflection on the meaning of gratitude. 

The last month has been a time of profound challenge for so many. The war in Israel and Palestine, along with so many other conflict situations throughout the world, has surfaced deep divisions within our spaces and the visible and invisible suffering that many are carrying with them. For years, Mission in Motion has attempted to communicate the myriad ways that Georgetown, through an abiding commitment to its mission and values, seeks to accompany everyone on their journeys of life, especially during times of adversity and challenge. This offer of “care for the whole person” was especially evident during the COVID-19 pandemic and in response to the increasing awareness of the need for greater racial justice and urgent social change that leads to greater diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

In many ways, then, next week’s celebration of Thanksgiving might not have its usual glow. It is incredibly difficult to force a spirit of thanks and gratitude at a time when such dispositions seem so far away and unnatural to our lived experience. In this post, I would like to affirm that it is ok to feel less than enthusiastic about the coming holiday. I would also like to offer a reflection about how a spirituality of gratitude, which is at the root of Ignatian spirituality, has to be appreciated in a larger context. Gratitude alone is not sufficient to making our way through difficult times. We have to find ways, individually and collectively, to become more aware of the challenges that divide us as human beings and then work together, aided by the knowledge, skills, and values cultivated during our time at Georgetown, to repair harms and restore healing in the world. 

The Ignatian practice of the Examen, featured many times on the blog and practiced each Friday during the SCS digital meditations, revolves around gratitude. The cornerstone of the practice is becoming aware of our gratitude. We might ask ourselves during a regular practice of Examen: For what am I grateful as I look back at the last day/week/month? When I let myself be washed over with gratitude looking back at a period of time, what comes to the surface? The idea here is that locating a gratitude becomes an opportunity to self-reflect on my own giftedness and how I might be invited to share that thanksgiving through generous actions in the world. Gratitude is the soul of generosity and loving kindness in the world. It is difficult to express gratitude for others when we are not finding it within ourselves and our experience.  

There are so many possibilities to living life in a spirit of gratitude. But there are also some cautionary lessons about this way of proceeding spiritually. In their article, “Ignatian Spirituality and Positive Psychology,” Phyllis Zagano and C. Kevin Gillespie pick up on the work of Jesuit psychologist Charles Shelton, who is concerned about the potential to over-idealize gratitude. For Shelton, the gratitude disposition can lend itself to “optimistic exuberance” that covers up personal challenges that need to be addressed or more realistic engagement with a complex world that needs to be reappraised. Zagano and Gillespie maintain that gratitude has to be balanced, recognizing that the goal of life is not always the “simple pursuit of happiness” and “personal self-development.” Instead, spiritually mature people qualify happiness when situations of injustice and moral complication arise. 

So how does this connection to Ignatian spirituality relate to your Thanksgiving holiday? My hope is that you can take some time to recognize that while you might desire to feel gratitude, this feeling might not arrive. Instead of forcing it, I invite you to consider what you need in this moment of life to address the challenges you’re experiencing personally and professionally. We do not journey alone and this little Thanksgiving respite from work and study might be a good time to reach out for more support on your path ahead. 


Resources at the University are available to help you navigate the path ahead. In addition to professional counseling services (for faculty and staff, please consult the Faculty & Staff Assistance Program; for students, please consult Counseling and Psychiatric Services) and pastoral care resources (please consult Campus Ministry chaplains and staff), we are here to listen.

Posted on

This Veterans Day, Reflecting on the Military-Connected Patron Saint of Jesuit Education

undefined
St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, was a military veteran like many SCS students. This week’s post considers the relevant connections between this saint of the 16th-century and the military-connected population at the University. 

This semester, a group of SCS staff are going through the four-part Ignatian Tradition Seminar, a deep exploration of the enduring meaning and significance of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. The four-part series takes place over the span of a semester and invites close reading, group discussion, and discernment about how to make Jesuit mission and values, as they arise from the life of Ignatius and the development of the Jesuit order, a part of one’s work at Georgetown. The seminar examines the history of Ignatius and the founding of the Jesuits, the origins of Jesuit education, contemporary Jesuit commitments to social justice, and the ways that Jesuit universities like Georgetown bring to life their Ignatian identity. 

Each Jesuit institution is unique, reflecting the context of its operation. This particular seminar at SCS emphasizes Georgetown’s abiding commitment to multi-faith and inter-religious dialogue. Of particular interest to the SCS participants is the opportunity to consider the relationship between the School’s hallmark incorporation of technology into learning and the heritage of Jesuit history and values. In other words, what can a 500-year-old tradition of humanistic education offer the ongoing development of innovative online and technology-mediated learning like at SCS? 

Through all of the seminar’s many conversations,St. Ignatius remains a central character in the narrative. Participants engage with the many personae of the patron saint and what relevance this 16th-century Spanish figure bears today for our work and study at Georgetown. Mission in Motion has previously reflected, as part of the Ignatian Year 500, about the aspects of the Ignatian biography that most align with the culture and characteristics of SCS. There are four ways that St. Ignatius and his story align so closely to the community of learners at SCS. St. Ignatius was: an adult learner, used technology as part of his leadership strategy, developed a model for incorporating contemplation into a busy and active civic life, and served in the military. It is this last attribute, Ignatius as military veteran and wounded warrior, that motivates this week’s reflection in light of the Veterans Day holiday.

Georgetown honors its military-connected students and faculty through dedicated resources and celebrations of the stories of these individuals that focus on their service. The core of the University’s efforts extends from student veterans to military spouses, caregivers, and other military-connected persons. A sizable military-connected population exists at SCS and has access to a comprehensive set of resources provided by Georgetown’s Military and Veterans’ Resource Center. 

The whole-person approach to caring for student veterans is evident not just in tangible resources but also in intentional messages and the creation of hospitable spaces for this community. At last year’s SCS commencement, for example, Jason Kander, military veteran and accomplished politician, gave a stirring address that focused on the particular mental health challenges facing military veterans. Kander made the point that self-care is not selfish, an idea that might seem anathema to a community that is so accustomed to putting others’ needs before their own. This emphasis on self-care provides a relevant connection to the military meaning of the Ignatian story. 

In their article in the magazine Conversations on Jesuit Higher Education, “Wounded Warriors: Ignatius of Loyola and Veteran Students,” Thu Do and Mary Dluhy make explicit the contemporary relevance of St. Ignatius for modern military veterans: 

“Ignatius is recognized as the patron saint of veterans because of his knighthood and military experience. Like Ignatius, veterans, service members, and wounded warriors experience both physical and spiritual sufferings. Leaving the military and returning to the civilian life, veterans often miss the sense of commitment to an important mission, deep fellowship, and intense stimulation on the battlefield.”

Ignatius provides a set of discernment resources and a structure for spiritual development that can help any person grow into the meaning and purpose of their life. The Ignatian biography, which included dramatic shifts in vocational choices—from courtier to soldier to pilgrim and finally to administrator of a global company—reveals that a person’s deeper meaning and purpose can stay the same even as the circumstances of one’s life can change. The important takeaway for veterans and other military connected students is that the entire University community has an important role to play in helping this community reconnect to their sense of mission and purpose after military service is complete.

Posted on

“I Didn’t Want to Let More Time Pass” – Emergency & Disaster Management Alumna Reflects on Her Values-Based Commitment to Protecting Vulnerable People

This week’s Mission in Motion is an interview with Aideé Stephanie Jiménez Ávila, an alumna of the Executive Master of Professional Studies in Emergency & Disaster Management. Currently serving as the Resilience Policy Coordinator in the Government of Mexico City, Stephanie reflects on her inspiring journey to Georgetown’s program that required her to overcome a personal health challenge by seeking out the care and support of others. She offers thoughtful insights about the need for human-centered decision-making in disaster prevention and response and shares about the importance of trust in building healthy, resilient teams. 

  1. Tell us a little bit about your inspiring story and what led you to the Executive Master of Professional Studies in Emergency & Disaster Management? 

In a way, I believe it was destined. I had worked in international cooperation, and my experience was that several social programs would be disrupted when disaster strikes, though previous and emerging needs increased. This led me to have an interest in finding a multi-sectoral program with a managerial vision that targets this lack of coherence in local development.

Initially, I found spaces for certain careers or programs that focused on first-response activities. That’s how I found the program, signed up for the newsletter, and saw the bulletin listing the trips they took to share the experiences of practitioners. It seemed unique to me. Later, I took on another position and postponed the plan of pursuing a master’s degree. With the occurrence of the 2017 earthquake in Mexico, I was working for the United Nations system, and as I learned that disasters were on the rise, I didn’t want to let more time pass without being able to guide governments.

However, I wouldn’t have known that months later I would stop walking due to spinal injuries, causing that dream and interest to be left behind once again. I was fortunate to find a surgeon who, even though I couldn’t walk, said, “You need to go fulfill a dream, what would you like to do?” At first, I thought he was crazy, but he changed my treatment and physical therapy. During those days, a newsletter from the Program arrived, and I applied. A few months later, I was in the Program, which allowed me to continue my treatment, learn, and be in a practical, multicultural program with a humane and quality staff, faculty, and my cohort.

I never imagined that I would be fulfilling a dream while learning to walk and be independent again. My personality before this condition would have never considered it.

  1. You have also received some important awards for your leadership. Can you share more about this recognition and what it means to you? 

Of course! Recently, in September 2023, the Women of the Future organization awarded me as a Rising Star in ESG. This is a global initiative and I’m very happy to be one of the 50 women whose work is not only endorsed by allies who nominated me for the projects I’ve driven in Mexico throughout the years, but it was also evaluated by leading experts from various sectors and regions globally. 

Knowing that issues like partnerships for accountability in disaster prevention and empowerment of young women, like me, in mid-level careers in disaster risk reduction, is not only critical but also inspiring for further Initiatives. With the Program, I now have a network of allies with whom I can learn, raise visibility, and express concerns. That guidance and support are invaluable and desirable for any professional.

  1. Of the 10 core values of the Spirit of Georgetown, what value do you think most expresses how you are putting into professional practice what you learned at the School of Continuing Studies?  

Undoubtedly, “cura personalis.” I usually have clear boundaries between my professional and personal life, but when collaborating and leading teams their environments also influence their performance. If we can take five minutes to engage, offer our support, or exchange ideas, then we can find further opportunities to be better humans and professionals.

Currently, I am looking through several ways to give back the care and support I received at home, from the faculty and my cohort in the Program in daily life, so that my teams and professional networks know that we are in a trusting environment with support and looking out for their well-being and growth.

  1. What advice would you share with other students, especially those students whose journeys to Georgetown involve similar challenges to the ones that you overcame? 

I know that having a network of care and support is a significant privilege, but there’s an entire community of professionals who are interested in building a sense of community and teamwork during and after the program. In SCS, I recognize what “we got your back” really means.

My advice would be: First, TRUST in yourself. In SCS, there’s a whole community during and after the program that is interested in supporting your potential. Second, make every moment an opportunity to propose projects and ideas. In my case, I believe I’ve been very fortunate that even while learning to live with a chronic condition, I received job offers during the program from people who were aware of some of my limitations. This is invaluable and a practice I now seek to adopt in my initiatives. Third, share and create new ways to contribute to society; the networks in SCS will undoubtedly help you continue to grow.

Posted on

SCS Hosts Event Focused on Young Professionals: How Can We Live Faithfully in Our Personal, Professional, and Political Lives?

The post this week is a reflection on a recent panel event hosted at SCS by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public life about the public contribution of faith. You can watch a recording.

One of the many blessings of the SCS campus is that University offices and initiatives on the Hilltop like to host events in the 640 Massachusetts Avenue space. Proximate to Capitol Hill and centrally located in the Downtown, the SCS building is situated in the heart of this capital city.

One consistent University partner organizing dynamic panel conversations at SCS on wide-ranging topics is the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life and particularly its Salt and Light Gatherings for young professionals. This week, a Salt and Light Gathering brought together an interesting mix of young leaders, ranging from a former political journalist on a new journey of self-discovery, an active duty U.S. Army major, a Congressional staff member, and a recent Georgetown graduate working in journalism.

The question that animated the hour-long conversation and community-building reception that followed was: What do the resources of faith offer individuals in their professional and political lives at a time of increasing polarization and loneliness?

The beauty of this convening was that the conversation did not pretend to have an easy answer to this difficult question. Each commentator expressed a humility about not having the answers but drew insights from their reflections on life experience and observations of the world. A theme of the discussion (you can watch a recording) was an affirmation of discernment, a core practice of Ignatian spirituality, which can be cultivated through regular prayer, meditation, and other self-awareness exercises.

The panel also challenged social and cultural assumptions about what it means to have “faith” and to be a “person of faith.” One of the panelists described faith in a way that I had not heard before: “Faith is showing up for others in their suffering.” I found this to be a far more effective and imaginative definition than most explanations found in expert writings or in textbooks. 

But why does such an event matter to the lives of the members of our SCS community?

First, I think it is helpful to raise awareness about how SCS leverages its space and strategic location in D.C. to make connections with mission-oriented programs based on the Hilltop. Second, I believe that the SCS mission of contributing to the building of a “civic-minded, well-informed, and globally aware society” comes alive when spaces are intentionally created to reflectively consider a diversity of viewpoints and life experiences.

The question of how personal and communal structures of faith should influence participation in the public square is a pressing question that unfortunately receives too little attention in the media and the wider culture. Georgetown, given its spiritual tradition and its commitments to religious pluralism, dialogue, and the common good, is uniquely positioned to host critical conversations like this.

I hope you check out the recording and ponder a bit more about what “faith” means to you and what it has to positively offer our current political reality.

Posted on

Care of the Person + Care of the Work = Care of the Mission

Georgetown Staff Appreciation Day took place this week and gives us an opportunity to explore two key terms in Jesuit mission: cura personalis (care of the person) and cura apostolica (care of the work). 

This week featured an annual highlight in the life of the institution: Georgetown Staff Appreciation Day. Converted to an indoor celebration because of the heat wave, the multi-hour event included lots of food, games, raffles, and even massages. Coming together as members of the staff community, arriving from a diversity of offices and campuses across Georgetown, is a welcome opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and reflect on the purpose of our shared commitment. 

This may come as a surprise, but I believe that this yearly event provides a rich platform to explore core concepts of Jesuit mission. In particular, the gathering of staff for the purposes of honoring their individual and collective contribution to the University brings out two Jesuit ideas that are fundamental to Georgetown’s mission and values. These are: Cura Personalis (care of the person) and Cura Apostolica (care of the work). You can read Jesuit Superior General Fr. Arturo Sosa’s much more detailed account of these terms in this universal letter issued to Jesuits across the world a few years ago. In short, care of the person in a Jesuit context is to always pay individualized attention to the needs, desires, strengths, and weaknesses of the individual when discerning how best to realize their potential. This commitment is realized at the University not only in the teacher-student relationship but also in the relationship amongst staff and between staff and faculty. 

Where Cura Personalis is about the person, Cura Apostolica is about the work. In a Jesuit institution, this means that the individuals responsible for the work or the shared project need to pay attention to ensuring the flourishing of the organization as a whole. To care for the work is to discern choices on the basis of what ultimately serves the needs of the collective enterprise. Often, these two commitments are in alignment, but there are occasionally times of tension between the two. In some instances, commitment to the ultimate purpose of the work might result in less care of the person (and vice versa). According to Fr. Sosa, this tension is sometimes unavoidable but can be navigated in a way that ultimately serves shared mission:

“However, Ignatius’ experience shows that care, deeply rooted in his spiritual experience and his mystical journey, offers the true dimension of the unity cura apostolica-cura personalis, dimensions of one single cura, that is, care for mission. The single cura has as its focus persons, communities and works, which are the service of mission. It is mission, therefore, that must be the fundamental criterion that unites cura apostolica and cura personalis. Our mission includes and implies inseparably our way of living and relating to each other, of caring for people and communities. This care for our way of living and relating is also a mission in itself.”

The unity of these two communities – personal and collective – is possible through discernment about mission. This point affirms the need at Georgetown and other Jesuit institutions to share about the mission of Jesuit education and what this five centuries’ heritage and tradition mean for today. I hope that one of the takeaways of this reflection is to find time and space to more deeply reflect on how you are in relationship to the mission of Georgetown. How are you attentive to the needs of individuals in your work? How are you advancing the work overall? How are you relying on the resources of the mission to find unity when these two conflict? 

Staff Appreciation Day helps focus our attention on the various ways that day-in and day-out the members of the Georgetown staff community realize the University mission by caring for people and the work to which they have been entrusted. 

Posted on

Renew, Review, Recharge: Three Reflective Suggestions as You Prepare for the Coming Fall Semester

This week’s post invites a reflective pause between the summer and fall semesters. As we prepare for the coming term, how would you like to renew, review, and recharge? 

As the summer semester comes to a conclusion, the attentions at Georgetown turn toward the fall. SCS operates year-round and welcomes students throughout the calendar year, but the fall semester still carries a special significance. In a few short weeks, Georgetown’s new-student-welcome infrastructure will go into high gear and the summer will fade into memory. 

But before this happens, I would like to invite a reflective pause. Whether you’re a new SCS student beginning your first semester, a continuing student, or a member of our faculty or staff, this opportunity to slow down, catch your breath, and prepare your mind, body, and spirit for the coming semester might be a welcome invitation. Here are three ideas for how to meaningfully enter into quiet before a new semester begins. 

Renew. As you prepare for a new Georgetown semester, take some time to get in touch with your motivation for being here. What drew you to Georgetown? What inspired you to take on your particular program? What are your desires for your experience at this University? As you begin to reflect on these questions of your “why,” it might help for you to familiarize yourself with the deeper purpose of Georgetown as an educational community. You can spend this time with this Mission in Motion post: New to SCS? An Introduction to Georgetown’s Mission and Values in Four Points. 

Review. Spending time renewing your commitment to your Georgetown education might lead you to consider your future and where you are heading. But it is also important to take stock of where you have been and how you arrived at this current moment. Reviewing your past for the sake of reflecting on how your prior lived experience might inform your present and future is at the heart of the Jesuit spirituality that animates the mission of Georgetown. One of the core practices arising from the Jesuit tradition that helps in this review process is the examen of consciousness. You might consider signing up for the SCS Daily Digital Meditation sessions, which include a weekly examen that occurs every Friday. In whatever ways you construct a practice of review, I invite you to explore how your present self reflects the authentic fullness of your entire journey of life. 

Recharge. Taking up “rest” as a meaningful practice of spiritual wellness is a challenge in a culture that values constant activity and valuing one’s life choices on the basis of utility or value maximization. Rabbi Rachel Gartner, SCS Senior Advisor for Pastoral Care, reminds us that the Jewish tradition of “Shabbat” requires that we “leave behind the regular flow of time and the productivity we imbed in it. We do this not in order to escape life, but in order to enter into it more deeply.” My hope is that you can find some intentional ways to truly rest in the time before the fall semester. Take lots of walks. Take time for silence. Truly enjoy the company of others. Give yourself some space to unplug from the daily distractions. Your soul will thank you! 

One of the great joys of working at Georgetown is welcoming new members into our community multiple times in the year. There is so much anticipation before a new semester. My hope is that you can savor this time and arrive in a few more weeks a little more rested, a little more reflective, and a lot more reinvigorated.

Posted on

SCS Student Retreat Steps Outside of the Ordinary into Rest and Reflection

 This week’s Mission in Motion highlights the 2023 SCS Student retreat, “Stepping Outside of the Ordinary.” 

With the 2023 Commencement in the books, Mission in Motion turns this week to another celebrated annual SCS milestone, the overnight student retreat. In early May, over 20 SCS students from more than 13 different degree and non-degree programs ventured out to Georgetown’s Calcagnini Contemplative Center for an overnight experience entitled “Stepping Outside of the Ordinary.” Rabbi Rachel Gartner, SCS Senior Advisor for Pastoral Care, and I led the retreat and journeyed alongside the students as they nourished themselves spiritually and developed strong community bonds. 

The SCS student retreat featured talks, small and large group conversation, meditation, and relaxation in the outdoors. 

Two talks framed the 24-hour experience. I gave the first one, which encouraged participants to take a Long, Loving Look at the Real in their lives by using the Ignatian contemplative practice of the Examen. Invited to slow down and notice more closely the nitty gritty details of daily life, retreatants had the opportunity for both personal reflection and larger group conversation. Modeled on the dynamics of Ignatian spirituality, the ideas and practices of the talk anchored the experience in the University’s Jesuit heritage. Small groups met in the cozy spaces of the picturesque natural setting at Calcagnini. Unlike last year’s spring retreat that took place in the snow of early March, this year’s retreat fell on a sunny and breezy early May weekend. The weather conditions encouraged more outdoor enjoyment and relaxation. 

SCS students made the most of their time on retreat by exploring the natural surroundings of the Calcagnini Contemplative Center. 

The retreat’s second talk explored in depth the Jewish tradition of Shabbat. Rabbi Rachel presented rest from work as a spiritually significant commitment arising from religious tradition. Retreatants engaged contemplatively with Rabbi’s reflections and also interacted with Jewish texts as part of their exploration. Presenting from Judaism’s teaching tradition as a launching point for deeper personal and communal reflection is a hallmark strength of Georgetown’s Mission and Ministry approach. Students interiorized the lessons of the talk as they were being invited in the second day of the retreat to consider how they wanted to take their weekend experience back with them as they returned to campus. In addition to actively listening to these short talks, retreatants had the opportunity to take individual and group reflective walks in nature, eat delicious meals in community, and enjoy unstructured time for play and rest. 

Like past SCS student retreats, I marvel at the ways that students so quickly adjust themselves to this unique experience. Most students begin the adventure as strangers and end up as friends. I hear the delightful chatter of the newly formed network of Georgetown friends as the bus makes the journey back to the SCS campus after a remarkably short 24 hours. I also observe students making new commitments to more regular habits of reflection, prayer, and meditation that can remind themselves of what they learned on retreat. 

More than any other indicator, retreatant reflections on the experience provide the best evidence that formal retreats are effective. Georgetown’s Campus Ministry is committed to helping students “lead lives of deeper meaning, belonging, and purpose.” The following sample of student testimonies about the 2023 SCS student retreat affirm that this objective is being realized through this yearly event:

  • “I feel that I have resources now to help take a step back in my day-to-day routine to ground myself in my life.” 
  • “I am returning home more connected to the Spirit of Georgetown and thankful I could strengthen my own path through the diversity of others.” 
  • “I feel called to continue my spiritual journey at Georgetown.” 
  • “I am returning more grounded and I take away with me healing, conversation, and diversity.” 
  • “I feel peace and happiness as I return and I desire to share this experience with others.”
Posted on

2023 Spirit of Georgetown Winner Reflects on Friendship, Professional Journeys, and Shaping the Next Generation

Each year, Georgetown SCS honors outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni at the annual Tropaia Awards in Gaston Hall. This is a treasured occasion to publicly celebrate the ways that SCS community members bring the Spirit of Georgetown, the Jesuit mission and values that animate this entire learning community, to life in their study and work. The SCS Spirit of Georgetown award is selected by a committee of faculty and staff through a rigorous process of reviewing peer nominations. 

This year’s winner is Courtney Eury, a 2018 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies in Project Management. Courtney exemplifies the core values at the heart of the Spirit of Georgetown in her ongoing commitment to the service of others. She has transformed profound personal grief into service for the common good. She founded the Craven Apiary Foundation, which supports young women in their pursuit of advanced education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (S.T.E.A.M.). The foundation offers resume and scholarship essay review along with interview preparation and a scholarship fund for students seeking to pursue further study in S.T.E.A.M. fields.

This week’s post is an interview with Courtney Eury, a 2018 SCS graduate who has committed her life to the service of others, inspired by her Georgetown education and her transformative response to personal loss.  
  1. Tell us a bit about your story. What led you to Georgetown SCS and where is your journey heading a few years after your graduation? 

Since 2008, I have worked in government and technology, living in D.C., California, and North Carolina. When transitioning from government to corporate America, I knew that I wanted to pursue an advanced degree. After extensive research, Georgetown SCS became my top choice, as I have always aligned closely with the values at Georgetown and the education that it provides. Since graduating, I have continued to work in technology, currently at Splunk as a Customer Success Manager, as well as recently founded The Craven Apiary Foundation in January 2023 to honor my late sister. The Foundation’s mission is to provide scholarships and support to young women pursuing advanced studies in S.T.E.A.M. This year, we have been able to provide six local women with scholarships for their 2023–2024 academic year. My time at Georgetown provided me with the tools to succeed, enabling me to help others pursue their own dreams.

  1. What does the Spirit of Georgetown mean to you? 

Opportunity, inclusiveness, and connection are the top three words that come to mind when I think of what the Spirit of Georgetown means to me. Opportunity to challenge myself professionally and academically, learning from those around me. Inclusiveness to allow for me to be my truest self, share ideas and see other perspectives. Connection to others, even after our time at Georgetown, building a network of individuals that support and encourage me through my professional journey. Both during and after my time at Georgetown, I have been able to connect with faculty and other graduates, offering growth and friendship that would not have been possible otherwise. These individuals have inspired me to provide others with the same, therefore allowing me to give back to my community and network. 

  1. As you reflect back on your time at SCS, what advice or inspiration would you like to share with the soon-to-be graduates? 

There are two pieces of advice that a mentor/colleague has shared with me over the years that have helped guide me through difficult situations or decisions. 

  • “Create your pull, not a push.”

When you meet others, whether personally or professionally, be authentic, make an impact, and create connections. Don’t try to push or force yourself into a situation, a job, etc. If you try too hard to make it happen, it most likely isn’t meant for you.

  • “If you ask permission to be great, you will remain mediocre.” 

Be authentically you. Don’t allow others to tell you how bright you should shine or what your true potential is. Only you know that. If you wait for validation from outside sources or worry about what others may be perceiving you as, you may miss out on some of your greatest opportunities. 

  1. Anything else to share?  

I am so humbled to be selected for this award and all that it represents. I look forward to many years of sharing the Spirit of Georgetown with others, providing a safe space for people to be their most authentic selves, as well as creating opportunity whenever possible. I urge others to live a life of kindness and compassion, allowing those around them to be their most authentic selves.

Posted on

Recent SCS Alum Shares Inspiration About Personal Struggle and Guidance for Soon-to-Be SCS Graduates

In May 2022, Malak Badeer graduated from the Master’s in Human Resources Management program. That same month, she shared publicly with the SCS community her brave story of overcoming the tragic loss of her husband, Hamza, who passed away months after the birth of their first child, Omar. Four months into the pregnancy, Malak and Hamza suffered a severe car accident that led to hospitalization and intensive rehabilitation. Malak persisted in her studies, however, and achieved her dream of graduating from Georgetown. In the next several weeks, Mission in Motion will dedicate attention to the season of Commencement and its milestone events and celebrations, including the Spirit of Georgetown award at the Tropaia ceremony. In preparation for Commencement, a time of “sending forth,” we sat down with Malak for an interview that explored her transformative personal story, the meaning of her Georgetown education, and the advice she would like to give to this year’s graduating class. 

This week’s post is an interview with Malak Badeer, a 2022 SCS graduate with an inspiring story of persisting through tragic loss and finding noble purpose. 
  1. Last year, you shared with the SCS community your own story of personal loss and adversity. What inspired you to do that? 

Sharing my story with the SCS community wasn’t easy. The inspiration to share my loss and adversity came after an immense amount of thinking and resentment toward the idea. Initially, I was very hesitant because I did not want to receive pity for my story. I did not want people to feel bad for me or sorry for anything I had to endure. I wanted to share my story with the only intent of shedding light on the reality that life will hit us so hard at times, and it’s up to us to keep moving forward. I want students like me who may be between the decision of giving up or finding the internal strength within yourself to continue moving forward. I invite you to continue moving forward by seeking the support of others, including all the resources in your community.** For instance, for students at Georgetown, the Every Hoya Cares microsite is a good place to start in terms of the supportive resources available.  We all have our struggles and obstacles throughout our lives, and some just come a lot sooner than later, and at times we expect them to happen the least. It’s what we do when we’re facing those struggles that matter. I am sharing my story in this public way because I want others to know that seeking help from others is what helped me keep going and move forward. 

  1. In preparation for Commencement, what are your reflections on this season of graduation? What stands out for you one year after your own graduation? 

I can reflect on this graduation season and say, “I did it.” I overcame those obstacles, and I did it, and I’m so happy that I did. One year later, I began my career in a global organization that feels like home with a manager that I wish for every single one of you. One year later, I was lucky enough to join an organization that embraced me and made me feel at home and wanted to see me flourish alongside a manager who goes above and beyond to ensure it happens. One year later, what stood out the most was that all these difficulties passed, and they finally didn’t weigh as heavy anymore. I hope it reminds all of you that there’s a light at the end of every tunnel. 

  1. What advice would you like to share with students who are preparing to graduate and conclude their time as students at SCS? 

As you conclude your time here at SCS, I want you to know that life will test you in many ways. It will break you and shake you to your core. But I want you to rise above those tests and conquer them with the help of others and understand that your own internal strength in adverse times comes from the community that surrounds you. Do what it takes to be the best version of yourself.  Life is too short. My late husband passed with a dream, a dream to take control of his own life, and as he was reaching that dream, he did not make it. So please, live your life and refuse to have anybody in this world compromise your freedom to live out your true calling. 

  1. How is your Georgetown education shaping the next steps in your professional journey? 

Georgetown began shaping the next steps in my professional journey even before graduation. The quality of knowledge and education I received from my mentors, professors, and educational materials are all quality resources I wouldn’t trade for the world but rather things I would repeatedly go back to for reference over again. If I could take a class every semester for the rest of my life, I would. Knowledge is power, and it’s the building block to shaping our future. I have been able to contribute so much of my knowledge from Georgetown and transform my current business line in many small but effective ways through the power of education that Georgetown University has provided for me, from conducting employee engagement activities within my team and creating a more positive work environment to creating forums to help support colleagues with simplifying team necessities and future goal planning. **Editor’s Note: May is Mental Health Awareness Month and a good reminder to all in our community about Every Hoya Cares, a comprehensive set of resources to assist with mental well-being and connection. You are not alone in your journey at Georgetown.

Posted on

Military Veteran and Author Leads Profound Conversation at Georgetown About Faith and Culture

The School of Continuing Studies is proud to serve a student body so connected to the military. The most recent SCS Dean’s Report details this military population, with 250 military-connected students enrolled across SCS programs in the 2021-2022 Academic Year. Georgetown’s commitment to this group is comprehensive with an array of programs and services intended to help veteran students and their families. And Georgetown is also a university, grounded as it is in its Catholic-Jesuit faith heritage, that welcomes and invites conversations about the most significant moral issues facing our world. In this spirit, Georgetown welcomed to campus last week Phil Klay, an award-winning author and veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. As part of the Faith and Culture series organized by the president’s office, Klay presented on his recent works, including his much acclaimed most recent novel Missionaries. 

This week’s Mission in Motion shines a light on a recent conversation at Georgetown with military veteran and noted Catholic author Phil Klay. SCS has a considerable population of military-connected students and this recent conversation illuminates their ongoing journey.  

One of the goals of this Mission in Motion blog is to connect the SCS community with events and resources occurring throughout the university. The intimate conversation with Phil Klay in Riggs Library, moderated by Paul Elie, senior fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and the director of the American Pilgrimage Project, is an excellent example of how Georgetown engages in critically important moral and ethical conversations in a way that community members across the university can appreciate. I would like to amplify this conversation and encourage you to take a look because I think the 60 minutes of discussion illuminate some of the biggest questions about the moral dimensions of how the United States engages in war in the 21st Century. 

Klay’s writing is motivated by his faith as a Catholic, a journey that has led him to embrace this tradition, leave this tradition, and ultimately return to it. But the meaningfulness of Klay’s insights about what it means to engage in war transcend any particular faith tradition. He is writing about the fundamentally human questions that continue to accompany military action in this time and age. What Klay represents so well in this conversation is the perspective of the person engaged in a war that he or she did not choose but must attend to out of their obligation. What are the lasting impacts of this engagement? How can military and military-connected persons make sense of their experience of war? What does faith have to say about any of this? 

There are no simple or easy answers to any of these questions. But the conversation with Phil Klay demonstrates well that the healthiest and most spiritually mature responses to these conundrums should be openly discussed and considered. I hope that we can all take from this discussion the enormous costs of war, the moral challenges that such war poses for its participants, and the relevance of this conversation for all of us as a university community.