The Hoyas join a cohort of 15 fellows who work alongside senior White House staff, cabinet secretaries and other high-ranking officials.
“We congratulate and celebrate these three remarkable, talented leaders on being selected for this prestigious fellowship,” says Lauren Tuckley, director for the Center for Research and Fellowships. “Their leadership and expertise reflects Georgetown’s commitment to fostering public servants who make a true difference in this world.”
The White House Fellowship selects exceptional young leaders for the one-year fellowship, providing them with firsthand experience at the highest levels of government and sharpening their leadership skills to serve in their own communities.
Ryan Fraser (G’19), a lecturer in the School of Continuing Studies, Lauren Cherry (L’20), a fellow in Georgetown Law’s National Security Center, and William Godwin (C’07), a Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences alumnus, are among this year’s White House Fellows.
They join the ranks of fellow alumni who served in the program, including last year’s fellows, Adan Gonzalez (C’15) and William Jones (G’22), and U.S. leaders and diplomats such as Sen. Dan Sullivan (MSFS’93) (R-Alaska) and Ambassador J. Scott Gration (SSP’88), the former ambassador to Kenya. Learn more about this year’s White House Fellows.
Ice Hockey Referee Turned Police Captain
Ryan Fraser (G’19) is a lecturer in Georgetown’s Emergency & Disaster Management Program, which equips graduate students to prepare, mitigate and respond to crises. Fraser graduated from the program with his executive master’s in 2019 and recently taught a course on Post Disaster Recovery.
In addition to teaching, Fraser serves as the captain of police, commanding officer and emergency management coordinator for NJ Transit, New Jersey’s public transportation system, where he leads emergency and disaster response across the state. During his 18-year career in law enforcement, Fraser was a first responder to the US Airways Flight 1549’s crash landing, known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” contributed to recovery efforts after Hurricanes Irene and Sandy, and served on two consecutive presidential inauguration protection details.
Prior to law enforcement, Fraser spent 17 years as a professional ice hockey referee. He refereed more than 1,000 games across the U.S. and Canada.
As a White House Fellow, Fraser will serve in the Department of Commerce.
Law Professor and National Security Expert
Lauren Cherry (L’20) is a fellow in Georgetown Law’s Center on National Security. She graduated with her LL.M. in national security law from the school in 2020, and last spring taught the course, Information Operations in the Cyber Age: Law and Policy, as an adjunct professor.
Cherry is a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps. She most recently served as associate deputy general counsel for intelligence at the U.S. Department of Defense, where she advised on cyber, space and sensitive military operations. Cherry has previously advised U.S. and foreign forces on counter-piracy, maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Middle East, and has trained U.S. and foreign special operations forces in the law of armed conflict and rules of engagement. Cherry also makes an impact locally, serving on the board of a nonprofit that resettles refugees in the Washington, DC, area.
Cherry graduated with her bachelor’s in psychology from Washington University in St. Louis, her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and her master’s in defense and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College.
As a White House Fellow, she will serve in the CIA.
A Public Servant and Commencement Speaker
William Godwin (C’07) is a Georgetown College of Arts & Sciences alumnus, founder of a real estate company, attorney and the former president of the Gary City Council.
At Georgetown, Godwin received a Truman Scholarship, a premier graduate scholarship for aspiring public service leaders in the U.S., and studied sociology. After his graduation in 2007, he earned his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School and master’s in religious studies from Chicago Theological Seminary. Godwin has also served as the director of external affairs at One Chance Illinois, a Chicago-based legislative advocacy nonprofit focused on advancing school reform initiatives, and wrote the book, Blue America’s God: Reflections on Faith and the Future of Progressive Politics. In 2019, he was elected councilman and then president of the Gary City Council.
In 2015, Godwin spoke at Georgetown’s annual senior convocation as the alumni speaker. In his address, he told students and their families:
“Learning more about what the world needs, its unfinished work, its new challenges, its dangers and shortcomings has given me tremendous heartbreak yet unbreakable joy. If nothing in this world makes your heart ache and sets your mind and soul on fire to respond in some meaningful way, you have missed the wise words, the gift of Georgetown.”
As a White House Fellow, Godwin will serve in the Office of the National Cyber Director at the White House.
