Title:New group brings together alumni in health care

Seeking to connect Georgetown alumni in the health care industry, Tesia Henn (C’09) and Stephanie Bean Allen (C’09) launched the informal Hoyas in Health network.

“Georgetown offers many different majors, minors, and certificates in health-related fields,” says Henn, senior finance director at Pfizer and chair of the Georgetown University Alumni Association’s (GUAA) Career Services Committee. “The goal for Hoyas in Health is to bring these alumni together.”

Henn and Allen were classmates at Georgetown and reconnected in 2022 through their service on the GUAA’s Board of Governors. They now work together very closely, collaborating with GUAA to grow the network through LinkedIn and community events.

Hoyas in Health is currently an informal group, but Henn and Allen hope to become recognized as a GUAA alliance in the future. Alliance/affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, interest, identity, or community. Alumni seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability. Hoyas in Health recently completed the first phase—an incubation period where groups recruit volunteers, engage alumni, and develop an engagement plan. Henn and Allen are looking forward to the continued growth and maturation of this community.

“Georgetown gave me so much, both personally and professionally. I feel called to give back to the university in any way that I can, and that includes dedicating my time to launching Hoyas in Health,” says Allen, director of business operations for the Strategy & Consulting team at Pfizer. In addition to her role on the Board of Governors, Allen serves as a Georgetown Scholars Program mentor and conducts interviews for the Alumni Admissions Program.

“It’s not surprising that so many Hoyas choose to work in health care as it’s certainly tied to the mission of being people for others,” she continues. “Georgetown alumni are uniquely well-prepared to confront the many challenges that exist in this fast-paced industry.”

Hoyas in Health has hosted a number of in-person and virtual events to bring together alumni.

“In our second year, we’re ramping up and focusing on bigger events with more thought-provoking content,” says Henn. “We’ve already hosted a panel in New York City on dealmaking and investor capital in the life sciences and a fireside chat in Minneapolis focused on the intersection of law, policy, and public health. We’re excited for what’s next.”