Justin Higgins (C’28), originally from Albany, New York, is a first-year in the College of Arts & Sciences. He plans to study government with a minor in journalism.
As the temperature drops and I say goodbye to my first taste of a DC summer (and a hello to my favorite season), so too do I say goodbye to my first month of college. Here’s a recap of what I’ve been up to for the past month.
Getting a Headstart With a Pre-Orientation Program
One of the best things that I could have done in my Georgetown journey thus far is applying for a pre-orientation program. While moving in early before the chaos was nice, participating in a “pre-o” allowed me to meet my current group of friends while still getting acclimated to campus life.
Here I am while shooting a scene of my team’s Campaign Bootcamp TV advertisement. I played the role of Representative Elissa Slotkin.
I participated in Campaign Bootcamp, which is run by the Georgetown University Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics). During the weeklong experience, my cohort of 20 learned from various campaign experts from both sides of the aisle while also simulating a real-time 2024 campaign. We bonded as as team and got a sneak peek of Leo’s (which is better than I expected!).
We even visited the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee’s headquarters for an inside scoop on this year’s Senate races. We finished the week by presenting our strategies for a mock Michigan U.S. Senate race to Mo Elleithee, the executive director of GU Politics.
Joining Clubs and Getting Involved
When I was in the final stretch of deciding where to go to college, one thing that scared me about Georgetown was hearing rumors about club culture. I’m glad that I followed my gut in choosing to be a Hoya because I’ve found that so many clubs are accepting and open to almost anyone. In fact, I found myself signing up for so many clubs that I had to evaluate which ones I wanted to commit to.
Obviously, getting involved is a great way to meet new people — it’s how I stay most busy outside of class. Being active in clubs can also serve as a way to gain leadership experience early; in fact, I’m already a board member of one of my clubs (as a first-year)!
There Are Always Interesting Speakers on Campus
After my amazing Campaign Bootcamp experience, I assumed that the fame level of speakers would decline. I could not have been more wrong! I feel like every week, I’m texting my family and friends from back home, telling them which cool person I’m going to see next.
As a writer for The Voice, I’ve gotten the chance to talk to this semester’s GU Politics Fellows, including MSNBC’s Symone Sanders-Townsend, Alencia Johnson and former Rep. Rodney Davis. Just the other week, I snagged tickets to see Rep. Jamie Raskin in between classes, and more recently, my friends and I lined up at the crack of dawn to see Hillary Clinton and Nikki Haley speak — in the same week!
Relaxing and Unwinding
Some of the best nights so far on the Hilltop have started with my friends and me roaming campus, open to doing anything. The first few weeks of September were packed with so many events which made finding things to do and meeting new people fun, even after New Student Orientation came to a close. I’ve had many late night runs to Insomnia Cookies, and look forward to taking the Metro to roam the monuments as the semester progresses. Oftentimes, these nights end in a friend’s room or common room; just last week, I was enlisted to give a friend a buzzcut.
My first month at Georgetown has been amazing! This semester, I look forward to not only my extracurriculars and making memories with friends, but also experiencing my first fall away from Upstate New York. I laugh now thinking back to any fears I had just months ago before arriving on campus. While college life has its highs and lows, I type this blog on my train ride back to my hometown, anticipating my return to my new home on the Hilltop.
