Title:Hoya alumni reflect on their callings as members of the Georgetown community

“I don’t have the words to describe how much Georgetown shaped my life, career, and friendships, but know that I must pay it forward. I needed financial support when I went to school and I have made it part of my life’s mission to give back and provide opportunities for folks in similar positions. Touring the campus with my son just reaffirmed the reasons why I give every year. Hoya Saxa!”

—Adrian Melbane (C’91)

“I found the teachers at Georgetown to be outstanding. I was lucky enough to have had Professor Albright for ‘MoFoGo’ (Modern Foreign Governments). She invited the whole class over for dinner over three nights! I also particularly remember Professor Arend’s bouncy energy. I was a T.A. for Professor Jan Karski’s Theories of Communism class while the Berlin Wall fell. These were all uniquely formative experiences at a time of tumultuous global change. On a side note, I met my husband freshman year. Yep, we are still together. I am so grateful to Georgetown for those four years.”

—Laika Dajani Lebreton (SFS’90)

“We are an immigrant family, and my parents made dramatic sacrifices to ensure that my brother and I had the best education. I support the Georgetown Fund because I would love to help others get access to education that enables them to become more knowledgeable about the world.”

—Sartaj Narang (SFS’09)

“I support the Mission & Ministry group to ensure students will always be able to enjoy the same wonderful retreats that I did: Silent Ignatian, Agape, etc. The Jesuits and the whole ecumenical mission of Georgetown is invaluable for molding hearts, minds, and spirits.”

—Christine Vayo (C’92)

“I give because my father, a 1973 graduate of Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences, gave me the gift of a Georgetown education when it wasn’t a bit easy for him to do so. He put himself through school working at The Tombs and Third Edition, and while I was there, I worked at Clyde’s to pay my rent and bills. As a result of the values I learned at home and at Georgetown, I choose to teach high school and I see the impact tuition assistance can have for a child/family who isn’t at the top of the socioeconomic hierarchy. I know what education unlocked for me is within every student; I want to give what I can to make sure other students at Georgetown feel uplifted by the generations who went before them.”

—Katherine Riley (C’99)