Matthew Gardiner (C’26) delivered the Cohonguroton address, and (G’15), the Walter I. Giles Associate Professor of the Practice in Constitutional Law in the Department of Government, received the Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Award for Faculty Excellence.

“Your academic journeys at Georgetown have undoubtedly been filled with many high moments, but I suspect just about all of you now can recall a low moment — a grade that wasn’t as good as you expected, an experiment that produced disappointing results or a concert performance that didn’t go as well as the rehearsals had,” , the dean of the șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences, told the audience at Gaston Hall. “But you’re all better for how you managed those lower moments and made your way to today, clearly a higher moment. So, always remember: the process is as valuable, if not more valuable, than the outcome.”

Get to know some of the students below and read the full list of award winners .

Addison Basile (C’26), Coakley Medal

Basile, from Middletown, New Jersey, had not yet committed to attending Georgetown when she arrived at , but she left in a Georgetown sweatshirt excited to tell everyone about her decision.

“What ultimately sold me on Georgetown was that it seemed like a place where I could do a bit of everything, never sacrificing one interest for another,” she said. “All of the students here seemed so engaged in what they were doing, and I really wanted to be a part of that.”

At Georgetown, Basile, who received the Coakley medal, double majored in psychology and linguistics and minored in Italian. On campus, she was involved in , a 27-hour overnight retreat; , a weekly gathering with a small group of new students and an assigned mentor; , and the .

But the cornerstone of Basile’s Georgetown experience has been her journey with the Italian language, she said. Seeking to reconnect with her father’s Sicilian heritage, Basile took a beginner Italian course to meet her language requirement during her freshman year. The summer following sophomore year, Basile traveled to Perugia, Italy for a six-week intensive Italian course with The Umbra Institute.

“When I got back from Perugia, I knew I wanted Italian to be part of the rest of my life,” Basile said.

She helped to translate her professor’s novel from Italian to English, completed internships and courses abroad, tutored in Italian at the and started an Instagram account, @ciaoitsaddy, which promotes Italian American heritage and the Italian language and has accumulated more than 17,000 followers. She capped off her Georgetown career with a linguistics thesis which studied Italian service employees and their attitudes towards Italian language learners. 

“In just three years, being Italian has gone from being a little known fact about me to being a defining part of my identity. It’s changed how I see myself and the world and how I relate to others,” Basile said. “This is all because of a core requirement and the incredible support I found in Georgetown’s Italian department.”

After graduating this spring, Basile will be going to Italy with the National Italian American Foundation, to New York City to be a guest on the Italian American Podcast and then to Ohio to work with the USA Hockey Player Development Camps. 

In October, Basile will be serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant at a high school in Southern Italy as a recipient of the Fulbright U.S. Student Program award. 

“I see this opportunity as the culmination of everything I learned about myself and the world at Georgetown and the perfect way to combine my long-time ambition to work in education with my love for Italian language and culture,” she said.

Since her freshman year, Basile has worked with Corp Catering at GAAP Weekends to try to share the love she found for Georgetown with other prospective students. These weekends would remind Basile of her own Georgetown journey.

“Meeting parents over breakfast and being able to share even a fraction of the love I found here always left me feeling even more grateful for the opportunity to be here,” she said. “Georgetown has been everything to me.”

The Coakley Medal was established by Elizabeth Coakley in memory of her husband, Henry “Hank” Coakley, a class of 1941 Georgetown alumnus and U.S. Air Force pilot who died in World War II. The award is presented to a șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences senior who has displayed qualities of loving service, honor and courage.

Anna Burgess (C’26), Katherine Kraft Medal

The sense of community and the spirit of cura personalis drew Burgess, recipient of the Katherine Kraft Medal, to Georgetown. It was a place where she saw herself “growing through service and critical thought” in addition to academics, she said. Burgess chose Georgetown because she envisioned it as a place where she could challenge herself and join an engaged community. 

Originally from Fairfield, Connecticut, Burgess transferred to Georgetown after completing her freshman year at the University of Miami. At Georgetown, she studied neurobiology with minors in disability studies and economics. 

On campus, Burgess met some of her closest friends through Corp Catering. She enjoyed running races throughout DC with her friends and having “family dinners” with her roommates. 

Burgess also pursued many different opportunities to get hands-on experience in neurobiology and disability research. She shadowed at the , where she assisted in the evaluation of post-NICU toddlers. She worked at the as a peer mentor and research assistant. There, Burgess developed a research project about a curriculum for entrepreneurs with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She also volunteered with Professor ’s , which taught her how to analyze neuroimaging data.

After graduation, Burgess will be working as a research assistant with Dr. Adriana Di Martino, an autism researcher, in the Autism Center at the Child Mind Institute in New York City. Eventually, she plans to attend a clinical psychology program.

“Georgetown has helped me come into myself as a person, student and future clinician,” Burgess said. “I’ve not only gained extensive knowledge in my academic interests, but also gained a broader perspective through the core curriculum and my research, shadowing and mentorship. As I continue my education and experience in psychology, I know that I’ll be more empathetic and have a holistic approach due to what I have learned while at Georgetown.”

Cornelia Kraft McKee established the Kraft Medal in memory of her mother, Katherine Kraft, and the award is given to the student who best manifests a spirit of humility, cooperation and commitment as a person for others.

Cameron Daly (C’26), Louis McCahill Award

At Georgetown, Daly, recipient of the Louis McCahill Award, found a place with no limits. “I never once heard anyone at Georgetown say, ‘I can’t,’” he said.

Daly did not take a traditional path to the Hilltop. After graduating from high school in Missoula, Montana, he struggled with drugs and alcohol, and fell into addiction. In 2017, he moved from Montana to Portland, Oregon, where he went through treatment and moved into sober living. 

In Portland, he got a job working at a grocery store and had no plans to attend college. “I didn’t think it was meant for me,” he said. When he decided to take classes at Portland Community șŁœÇÂÛÌł, he enrolled in fifth-grade math because of the long gap since he had been in school.

Daly did well in his classes, taking a few at a time while working at Whole Foods, and he began to consider transferring. “I really wanted to go somewhere that would let me do work that felt meaningful, but I did not ever think it was in the cards,” he said. But when he got into Georgetown, he felt that this dream could become reality. 

In DC, Daly has been able to pursue his dream of building “technology that drives real innovation and has a lasting impact on my community.” He double majored in computer science and economics. 

Daly conducted research with , the Callahan Family Professor of Computer Science, in the about censorship resistance, anonymity, privacy and security. He worked on three Hackathons with . He joined , a student-run software development club. Through that experience, he met (G’25), an entrepreneur and graduate of Georgetown’s Executive MBA program, and has worked at Garcia’s startup company, GoodOnBaby.

Daly also joined , which shares overdose and harm reduction awareness to students. The club has been a defining piece of Daly’s time at Georgetown.

“As a student in long-term recovery, they helped me navigate staying sober while giving Georgetown my whole self,” he said. A highlight of Daly’s Georgetown experience was representing Hoyas for Recovery in the Mr. Georgetown competition, an experience Daly said was “so far outside of my comfort zone.”

After graduating, Daly will be working as a software engineer in the defense and national security sector. He will also continue to work with GoodOnBaby and finish up research projects at Georgetown. Daly added that he is looking forward to settling down with his partner and starting a family.

At Georgetown, he had the opportunity to start again and believes he is a completely different person now compared to when he first arrived at the Hilltop. “When I first got sober, I used to dream about what it would look like to do something meaningful with my life,” Daly said. Now that he’s graduating, he feels that this dream has become a reality. 

“I can say with complete confidence that coming to Georgetown has completely changed the trajectory of my life,” Daly said. “I cannot wait to see where that goes.”

The Louis McCahill Award was established in 1960 by Eugene McCahill and Francis McCahill in memory of their brother, Louis, who died in service during the First World War. It is given to the student who has shown perseverance and determination of a high order in pursuing educational objectives at Georgetown.

Simone GuitĂ© (C’26), Lambert H. Spronck Medal

Guité’s education at Georgetown has changed the way she thinks about the world. Growing up in Portland, Oregon, GuitĂ©, winner of the Lambert H. Spronck Medal, was passionate about law and politics. Because of its access to politics in DC, Georgetown was her dream school.

Visiting the campus for the first time during GAAP Weekend felt like “a warm embrace,” said GuitĂ©. “I chose Georgetown for the opportunities to be connected with politics and for the amazing community of students and professors that make the school so special.”

GuitĂ© is a double major in American studies and government with a minor in women and gender studies. Recently, she completed her thesis, “Thread of Memory: Midwestern Farm Women’s Narration of Sewing, Homemaking, and Hardship,” in which GuitĂ© explored a series of oral histories with homemakers who had raised families on Midwestern farms in the mid-20th century.

In American Studies classes, including the Global American Studies Exchange, GuitĂ© had the opportunity to not only learn about American history, but to analyze how and why we tell history in certain ways. 

“My Georgetown education has changed how I think about the world around me,” GuitĂ© said. “We challenge mainstream narratives by examining whose perspectives are included in those stories, and why other viewpoints are left out.”

On the Hilltop, GuitĂ© found opportunity and community. Early on in her college career, she served as GAAP Oregon State Chair and was involved in the (GuitĂ© is a member of the Chinook Nation), which helped her find comfort while living far from home. Playing trumpet with , and eventually serving as president, she found a group of people that felt like a family. And joining the gave her the opportunity to advocate for issues she cared about and to meet her closest friends. 

While attending Georgetown, GuitĂ© interned for the National Democratic Redistricting Committee and Representative Maxine Dexter, inspiring her to pursue a career in politics and giving her the opportunity to give back to her community. 

After graduating, she will be working as a field organizer for the Iowa Democratic Party ahead of the midterm elections. 

“When I leave Georgetown, I will take with me the ability to think critically about the world around me, and how I can use my skills to make it a better place.”

The Lambert H. Spronck Medal was founded in 1963 by the students of the șŁœÇÂÛÌł in memory of Lambert H. Spronck (C’63). It is awarded to that student who has, throughout their college career, combined good scholarship with significant contributions to extracurricular activities, and who has manifested a spirit of giving completely to whatever Georgetown project or activity they are engaged in.

Matthew Gardiner (C’26), Cohonguroton Address

Gardiner, a double major in history and biology, was selected to give the Cohonguroton address.

“Cohonguroton” is an Algonquin word for the Potomac River that roughly translates to “river of swans.” The address is considered a symbolic “swan song” delivered by a member of the graduating class.

Joseph Hartman (G’15), Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Award for Faculty Excellence

Hartman, the Walter I. Giles Associate Professor of the Practice in Constitutional Law in the Department of Government, received the Edward B. Bunn, S.J. Award for Faculty Excellence, which is determined by a direct vote from the senior class. 

The award was established in 1967 to honor Rev. Edward B. Bunn, S.J., for his years of devotion and service to Georgetown University as president and chancellor.

(All photos by Dave Asche for Georgetown University)

“I always had a curiosity for how things work,” Cazares Borbon said. “I’ve felt a deep connection with science. It just makes sense to me and scratches that itch in my mind of learning how things work.”

He will graduate this May from the șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences with degrees in computer science and neurobiology and plans to work as a software developer in his hometown of Tucson, Arizona. Cazares Borbon’s work as a research assistant in the with , an assistant professor of rehabilitation medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center, has also influenced his career interests.

“I would love to do software development for researchers to help people do research,” Cazares Borbon said.

His contributions to the DARN Lab were multifaceted and important, DeMarco said. 

“Emilio is an impressive trainee,” he said. “He quickly understands complicated concepts and systems, both technical and conceptual. He is quiet but also does not shy away from asking clarifying questions. His independence, dependability and willingness to work hard cannot be overstated.”

‘Intellectual Courage’

Cazares Borbon attended a Catholic, Lasallian college preparatory high school in Tucson that was part of the national Cristo Rey Network. His first introduction to Georgetown University was through the , a three-week college prep program for rising high school seniors from select schools, including those in the Cristo Rey Network.

It became a catalyst of Cazares Borbon’s interest in Georgetown. 

“I felt connected and welcomed even online,” he said. “I thought, if I feel this way online, imagine how it is in person.”

When he arrived on the Hilltop, Cazares Borbon immediately remarked on how green the campus was. Seeing Healy Hall reminded him of Hogwarts from Harry Potter.

In high school, his main extracurricular activity was robotics. He discovered computer science by programming the team’s robots for .

Originally, Cazares Borbon figured he would major in computer science with a biology minor at Georgetown. But after attending a lecture about neurons, he decided he wanted to learn more about how the brain works. That led him to the neurobiology major.

“I would describe Emilio as optimistically bold,” said , an assistant dean in the șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences. “I am always impressed by his genuine thoughtfulness and intellectual courage. I have known Emilio as someone always willing to venture into unfamiliar territory while consistently finding the constructive lesson in every outcome. 
Our most enthusiastic conversations occur when he shares the connections he observes in the world between all his interests.”

, a professor of computer science, sees a “quiet confidence” in Cazares Borbon. “He is quite mature and measured,” Maloof said. “He is pursuing two rigorous courses of study, computer science and neurobiology, and I do not remember ever seeing him panicked or stressed because of what must be an arduous workload.”

Cazares Borbon is also a part of the (GSP), which supports first-generation and low-income students, and the (CSP), a decades-old program where first-generation students begin their Georgetown experience with a five-week summer program. Additionally, Cazares Borbon received support from the (RSSP), which is designed to expand opportunities for students from traditionally underserved communities pursuing studies in the sciences.

“Having a smaller experience of college before college fully started helped me grow as a person,” he said.

Trying New Things

Cazares Borbon enjoys trying new things.

Besides his classwork, he was involved in several organizations on campus. 

He danced and handled operations for (BFMG), a student-run dance ensemble dedicated to sharing traditional Mexican dance and culture. For the , he sang in the choir, was an altar server and helped with Spanish Masses.  This year, Cazares Borbon was the president of the Mexican advocacy club at Georgetown.

His friend even convinced him to become a volunteer tax preparer for , where Cazares Borbon has served on the board as president and treasurer, helping the organization grow to more than 200 volunteers.

When asked what he would share with his younger self, Cazares Borbon said, “trying new things really doesn’t hurt me.” That’s one of the main lessons he’s learned from his Georgetown education.

“Try new things out without worrying if you’re going to fail or not, because you’re probably going to succeed,” he said. “And then find friends that push you to do new things, because, sure, you can do new things on your own, but doing them with friends is so much better.”

Making Memories

Coming to DC from the Southwest meant new experiences for Cazares Borbon. Here are some of his favorites during his time on the Hilltop: 

Favorite spot on campus: The table next to the chemistry labs on the second floor of Regents Hall. Because that floor is the coldest floor in Regents and also the table has a good view of the Regents patio. That’s where I study before an exam.

Favorite class that you didn’t expect to love: The Dynamic Brain in Biology with Professor and Professor . They really taught me how to actually read research papers. In previous classes, we’ve read a lot of papers. We sometimes analyze the figures, but in the Dynamic Brain, we had to actually know what the researchers were talking about and what methods they used. This really opened my eyes that not everything researchers produce is good. You have to identify how you can make things better.

Favorite local restaurant and order: Recently my friends and I discovered actual good Mexican food at Tortas Y Tacos La Chiquita. It’s a 24-hour Mexican restaurant, and we go there at all kinds of hours of the day. It’s located in Arlington. We get the chicken nachos. 

Favorite event that you’ve attended: One of my favorite events at Georgetown would be the DĂ­a de los Muertos celebration this past fall, because it landed on a Sunday and we had a bilingual mass followed by the reception, which had the biggest attendance I’ve ever seen of any event in Georgetown. More than 300 people attended.

Favorite memory or moment on campus: My favorite memory on campus was my first snow storm or snow day, because I had never seen snow fall and stick. In Tucson, we do get snow, however, it literally melts as soon as it touches the ground. So that first day when it snowed, it was all fluffy and we could still walk on it. That was pretty special, because I had never experienced that before. 

(Top photo by Amy Cazares, C’24)

After spending her first year at Occidental șŁœÇÂÛÌł in Los Angeles, Brandes transferred to Georgetown University, a place she believed she was meant to be. Born and raised in DC, Brandes felt like she belonged in the city and at Georgetown.

“I felt like I was a part of the community, and so that’s what really locked it in,” she said. “I really feel people look out for each other in this city in a way that is different than any other place I’ve been, and you feel that just walking down the streets here. I missed that a lot.”

Brandes will graduate this May from the șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences with an interdisciplinary studies major focused on urban sustainability. In her three years on the Hilltop, Brandes has been studying the theoretical frameworks of place and the process of urban places. 

After graduation, she plans to backpack along the Appalachian Trail in Maine before moving to New York City in the fall to work in urban planning or urban design. One day, she hopes to own her own design firm.

“Cities are really complex, and there are a lot of things that are planned in cities, and there are a lot of things that happen spontaneously,” Brandes said. “And I think both things can be so beautiful.”

An Interdisciplinary Approach

Brandes arrived at Georgetown as a government major, but she knew even then that she wanted to study cities and the environment. 

She noticed that many classes explored those areas of study, just not within a single major. That’s when she discovered the șŁœÇÂÛÌłâ€™s interdisciplinary studies major, where students can design their own academic programs around research questions. The major has existed in the șŁœÇÂÛÌł for almost 50 years.

“It was an opportunity where I really took a chance to go out on my own and do something bold,” Brandes said. “And it was such a good decision.”

She made a list of potential classes she would want to take, and each one, she said, was “super intentional.”

“My first impression of Justine was that she was a remarkably curious and composed student,” said , an associate dean in the șŁœÇÂÛÌł and the . “Justine is unhurried in her consideration of questions, directions and opportunities.”

Brandes said one of the most important courses she took was Urban Inequality with , an associate professor in the Department of Sociology. In that seminar, Brandes read works from writers like W.E.B. Du Bois and about theoretical approaches in urban cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, New York City and Washington, DC.

“I was most impressed by her enthusiasm for the course content, engagement with the readings, active participation in class and her generosity with her colleagues,” Shedd said. “It was truly gratifying to be a part of Justine’s academic journey.”

Other courses Brandes took included Water with , a professor of geography and the vice dean for undergraduate affairs in the School of Foreign Service, and Urban Ecology with , the associate vice president for strategic initiatives in the Office of the Provost and an adjunct professor in the Department of Biology. 

“Making your own way in an interdisciplinary studies major takes vision and passion, and Justine has both,” Whitmer said.

Brandes was also part of the , which introduced her to a community centered around urban studies. Another experience Brandes cherished on the Hilltop was serving as a board member for the student-run Georgetown University Farmers’ Market that features more than 15 vendors.

“Being able to see everyone gather in one space on Wednesdays and see the entire community come together gave me so much purpose as a Georgetown student,” she said.

A Connection to Place

Brandes had been thinking about her senior thesis ever since her sophomore year.

It started with a curiosity about what makes a sense of place. She asked herself: What makes DC so different from L.A.? What makes L.A. so different from Berlin? It goes back, Brandes explained, to the Latin term, genius loci, which means “spirit of a place.”

“This has really been a labor of love,” she said.

She eventually focused her thesis, “Searching for a Lost River: Remaking the River That Made L.A.,” on the Los Angeles River, a 51-mile river in L.A. that is nearly completely encased in concrete, and a plan by the late architect Frank Gehry and his team to design a public space near the Rio Hondo confluence in South Gate, California.

“The Los Angeles River is mostly seen as a movie backdrop, rather than a really important ecological asset to the city,” Brandes said. “That topic really fired me up.”

Brandes visited the site in January and returned with an understanding that the proposed design plan for a cultural center and platform parks by Gehry’s team has been polarizing. 

“What my thesis gets down to is belonging and connection to place and how that is 100% tied to the natural environment,” Brandes said. “And you cannot ignore the natural environment.”

Ultimately, her thesis argues that the platform parks that would be built on the top of the river would create a sense of placelessness for residents along the river, Brandes said, because it conceals the river, rather than re-naturalizing it. Brandes also argues that because Gehry is an architect and not an urbanist or community planner, he approached the river as a design opportunity rather than an ecological system, prioritizing bold structures over restoration.

“You have to engage with local communities in which you intend to design for,” she said. “When local communities feel ignored, it ends up not being good for anyone.”

Everything Is Nature

Brandes’ sense of place is rooted in the outdoors. 

Around the age of 10, her parents took her to the Grand Canyon National Park. In addition to the awe of seeing the natural wonder, they hiked and backpacked the . 

“I think that was my first experience of seeing nature in a way that really humbled me and made me feel small,” Brandes said. “And since then, it just took off.”

She went on an Outward Bound rafting trip, which eventually led to a 30-day backpacking trip during high school in the Teton Range in Wyoming with NOLS, a nonprofit outdoor education school. Navigating with only a compass and map on that trip solidified Brandes’ commitment to the environment. 

“I decided for the rest of my life, this is going to be something I fight for,” she said.

And while she has a deep commitment to the environment, Brandes has always loved cities and the human connections found in them. Her academic interests were bolstered by study abroad experiences in Bilbao, Spain and Copenhagen, Denmark. 

“I think Bilbao helped me start thinking about urban processes and urban change,” Brandes said. “Copenhagen really opened my eyes to sophisticated design and architecture.”

In DC, she often visits Rock Creek Park. Part of her academic growth, Brandes said, is the realization that nature is all around us. 

“I think a lot of times we think when we’re in a city that we aren’t in nature, and nature is something that you can distinctly step into, but in reality, there’s no difference,” she said. “Everything is nature all the time.”

As she prepares to leave Georgetown, Brandes said that her liberal arts education has inspired a commitment to service and helping others. It’s also taught her to always push the status quo.

“As a community, we push each other,” Brandes said. “We’re not afraid to disagree with each other in the classroom, and I think that’s really beautiful. I’ll always take that with me for the rest of my life. No matter what situation I’m in, I will take a step back and really think: How can I push this situation? How can I grow while supporting others? How can we grow together as a community?”

Reflecting on the Hilltop

For the past three years, Brandes has made the most of her time at Georgetown. Here are some of her favorites around campus and the city she calls home:

Favorite spot on campus: Healy Lawn. Way back on that one bench between the John Carroll statue and Lauinger Library. You can look up at the tower. I think I’ve spent the most time reflecting there. I have the most memories there. 

Favorite class that you didn’t expect you’d enjoy: I took Acting I this semester with Professor . It was totally out of my comfort zone, but super impactful. Amazing class. I would have never taken that if it hadn’t come on my radar.

Favorite local restaurant and order: Teaism in Dupont Circle. I would get the spicy glass noodles with a green tea lassi and one of the cookies for dessert.

Favorite Georgetown tradition: Not walking on the seal outside of Healy is really funny. They always say once you get here, don’t step on it, or you’re not going to graduate. I don’t know if I believe in it, but I’m not gonna test it. 

Favorite thing to do off campus: Just walk to Dupont Circle and sit in the circle. I love doing that. I think it really connects me to DC beyond Georgetown. I really just enjoy sitting there on a nice day.

(Top photo by Maria Sophia Dyer)

As a middle schooler, instead of playing video games or sports after school, Feng would be at home, eagerly awaiting the 5 p.m. broadcast of CBC News. His dad also had a cable subscription to all of the American national news channels. Feng, born and raised in a suburb of Toronto, would watch news on politics — particularly from the United States — any chance he could. In high school, he wrote papers on the Cuban Missile Crisis and other historic U.S. political events.

“I had the bug of loving American politics and American news,” Feng said. “I thought about politics in a very analytical way very early on about why people believe the things they believe.”

That passion eventually led him to the U.S. and Georgetown University, and Feng will graduate this May with a degree in government from the șŁœÇÂÛÌł of Arts & Sciences. During his four years on campus, Feng has gained experience in immigration policy and organized labor. He plans to attend law school in the fall to become an immigration or labor lawyer. A Rhodes Scholarship finalist, Feng hopes to advise on the future of immigration law from the legal perspective. 

“I want to do appellate litigation for a plaintiff’s law firm,” Feng said. “I don’t think I can have a long career in law without addressing working-class issues.”

Immigration Policy Reform

Feng’s interests in immigration policy and labor are rooted in his personal history. 

In 1999, Feng’s parents left China with his older brother to immigrate to Canada. The move provided new opportunities for the family, but Feng’s parents left a part of themselves behind in China, he said. 

His mom was a kindergarten teacher, and his dad was an aerospace engineer. The extra education and re-certification required in Canada made it difficult for them to continue their old careers, Feng said. Instead, they took clerical jobs at a local bank.

“I can never give my parents their old careers back,” Feng wrote in his Rhodes Scholarship application. “However, I can still give back to Canada by making it easier for the next generation of skilled immigrants to economically integrate. My parents’ career sacrifices have pushed me to imagine a Canadian immigration system in which Persian doctors, Ukrainian scientists and Burmese care workers can easily continue these careers as Canadians — contributing to our nation in the ways they know best.”

“Economic immigration is much more than just a way to supply Canada’s labor market,” he added. “A moral immigration structure must first grant newcomers their innate humanity and basic social rights.”

Feng wrote his senior thesis on what he calls the critical juncture for economic immigration reform in Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom from 2008 to 2014. His key takeaway is that while the three countries originally revolved around different immigration systems, all of them converged toward an American two-step model for immigration. In that system, immigrants may be selected for temporary work by U.S. employers and then potentially transition to a non-guaranteed permanent residence. 

“Only a small percentage of all those who apply can get it,” Feng said. “If you don’t get it, you should, as logic, leave and end your stay in the countries. But the implication of my thesis is that many people don’t. That is driving some of the immigration issues we see as hot-button topics today.”

One of the goals for his thesis was to set the groundwork of how countries got to their current immigration systems before exploring possible solutions. Among the questions that Feng asks are: 

• Can there be an economic immigration system that minimizes precarity for those living life within it? 
• How can we make a system that protects the ability of immigrant workers to be safe and have a voice at their workplace, without fear of immigration action initiated by their employer? 
• How can we see these goals as top priorities alongside national growth and economic success? Is it possible?

“It’s an extremely privileged thing that I get to say the system worked for me,” Feng said. “I wish that were the case for more people.”

Standing Up for Workers

Feng’s commitment to workers’ rights has been shaped by his liberal arts education.

At Georgetown, Feng took The First Amendment class as a first-year student with (G’15), the Walter I. Giles Associate Professor of the Practice in Constitutional Law in the Department of Government. The course, he said, changed his life.

“It was a seminar,” Feng said. “It had no grades, no tests, and the only thing you would do is write a 25, 30-page paper at the end of class. 
That really solidified me in the government space, because I thought if I could do stuff like this every semester, that’d be super cool.”

Feng made an immediate impression on his professor.

“From the outset Andy had an amazing talent for thoughtful consideration of — and understanding of — complex concepts, an innate intellectual curiosity and a very good sense of what he wanted to do after college, even as an incoming first year,” Hartman said. “Andy has always kept his focus on his long-term goals — specifically to work in support of organized labor, and both his academic work and his professional experience has been geared toward that goal.”

Feng also enjoyed Elements of Political Theory with , an assistant professor of government, and U.S. Working Lives with , a professor in the Department of History and co-director of the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor. Feng’s interest in reading and writing led him to the , where he’s written scripts, fiction stories and poems. 

“I have intersected a lot with just the government degree,” Feng said. “I love the idea that there is such a broad network of folks. 
It’s really nice to have the șŁœÇÂÛÌł just because of the diversity and breadth of all this.”

Fisher sees in Feng a “clear sense of seriousness to his boundless curiosity.”

“Andy exemplifies that purpose-driven pragmatism that makes our students so much fun to teach,” he said.

McCartin agrees, calling Feng, “one of the most curious students I’ve ever taught.”

“Andy embodies the idea that learning should sharpen one’s understanding of the world and preparing one to help make it more just and inclusive,” McCartin said.

On campus, Feng has served on the șŁœÇÂÛÌł Academic Council, which he called one of his top experiences at Georgetown. Feng was also the philanthropy chair and board member at large for , commonly known as The Corp, a student-run nonprofit and charitable organization at Georgetown. 

Off campus, Feng worked for the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) as a political and field mobilization fellow. There, he advised national political directors on the messaging strategy for the 2024 elections and constructed national worker support programs. 

“We’re in a time of great skepticism surrounding the purpose and value of higher education, and Georgetown is so well positioned to offer answers to those skeptics,” Hartman said. “In some sense, our students are our answer — and Andy is a perfect example of this. He works hard, tempers healthy ambition with grace, humility and altruism. I have no doubt he’ll have a significant impact when he leaves the Hilltop.”

People for Others

The word discernment comes to mind when Feng reflects on his Georgetown education. That means having the ability to think about things in an analytical manner, he said.

“I think that’s my pitch for Georgetown, the sense that you’re just going to have to interact with things in a humanistic perspective that deals with a lot and that can’t be just boiled down into one thing,” Feng said.

Being in DC, with its proximity to the federal government and all of its moving parts, has taught him to look at how decisions and policy directly impact people. It also reminds him that there will be challenges in any path, but that at the end of the day, whatever career path Feng takes, it will be about service to others.

“There is no way in which you come to Georgetown and you leave and think you’re not going to do anything for a community of people,” he said.

Four Years of Memories

Feng has accumulated a lot of memories and favorites during his four years at Georgetown — from taking classes on script writing to attending a cappella concerts on campus. Here he shares some of his favorites from the Hilltop:

Favorite spot on campus: In the summer, Copley Lawn, and in the winter, Midnight Mug or Uncommon Grounds or one of the coffee shops.

Favorite class that you didn’t expect you’d enjoy: Medicine and the Muse: Writing Through Change with , the director of the Lannan Center. It totally opened a whole new third eye for different things that are fictional but can be applied to real life. A second one is Script Writing with . I loved it especially from the perspective of talking about cultural issues through scripts.

Favorite local restaurant and order: Pho 75. No. 1. Large. All the fixings.

Favorite event you’ve attended at Georgetown: A capella singing festivals. Spring Sing. Cherry Tree Massacre. DCAF. Those three. I haven’t missed one. I don’t sing either. They’re amazing.

Favorite Georgetown tradition: The comfiest hoodie in your closet has to be a Georgetown one because you’re going to have to wear it to the airport and the airplane. That’s just how it goes. It feels strange wearing a non-branded thing nowadays.

(Top photo by Josh Rodriguez)