September, 2024 Newsletter
September 2024
Hello fellow Hoyas For Others!
Hoyas for Others (H4O) aims to connect, celebrate, and foster collaboration among GU alumni of all years and programs who are professionally engaged in social impact, social justice, and/or service -- whether at a nonprofit, university, government entity, corporation, foundation, or in a volunteer role. We also strive to highlight the many University programs and initiatives that advance social change, and support students who are interested in social impact careers by connecting them to alumni through Hoya Gateway and other venues.
If this email was forwarded to you, be sure to subscribe here to receive future editions.
NEWS
Meet the newest members of the H4O Steering Committee: Marianne Perez Fransius and Conan Louis
Communications Lead
Marianne Perez Fransius (SFS ‘02)
Marianne Perez Fransius is an experienced trainer, dialogue facilitator and peacebuilder. She has designed training sessions and trained dozens of peacebuilders in communications for social impact, conflict analysis and dialogue facilitation.
Throughout her educational and professional career, Marianne has lived and worked in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa, South America, Western Europe and the US. This international experience and outlook helps her understand different perspectives and approaches to topics ranging from communications to needs-based decision making to strategic programming. Find out more.
Member at Large
Conan Louis (SLL ‘73, GRAD ‘78, LAW ‘86)
Conan N. Louis is the founder and president of CNL Solutions LLC, a management consulting firm specializing in strategic planning and fundraising for both for-profit and non-profit sectors, with campaigns ranging from $3 million to $1 billion. With over 30 years in philanthropy, he has held significant roles at Georgetown University and Howard University, and advised various organizations at Bentz Whaley Flessner. His extensive experience includes serving as Chief Development Officer for the National Society of Black Engineers and Director of Development for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. In addition to his consulting work, he is a partner at Washington Law Partners, focusing on wills, trusts, and advising small businesses and non-profits. Mr. Louis has a background in social science research, museum education with the Smithsonian Institution, and holds degrees from Georgetown University, including a law degree. A dedicated alumni volunteer, he has received the John Carroll Award and is involved in various Georgetown initiatives, including the Black Alumni Council. He is conversant in Russian and French.
CONNECT
Design an IT Roadmap to Create Value for Your Nonprofit
Where do you see your nonprofit in five years, and how is managing your IT going to help you get there? To fully utilize the power of IT to support your nonprofit, you need to have a plan. Join Johan Hammerstrom, CEO of Community IT Innovators, to learn the steps to create your own IT roadmap and incorporate IT strategy into your leadership and budget practice.
Co-sponsored by the McCourt School of Public Policy and Hoyas for Others
Location: Virtual event
Date and time: Thu, Oct 3, 2024 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM ET
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/uvyxjvm
Ignatian Family Teach-In For Justice 2024
The Teach-In is a place for members of the Ignatian family (Jesuit institutions and larger church) to be empowered, re-energized, inspired, challenged, and supported by a community that sees faith and justice integrally linked. Now in its 26th year, the Teach-In has a rich history rooted in honoring the Jesuits and their companions who were martyred in El Salvador in 1989. Learn more.
Location: Washington D.C.
Date and time: October 26-28
Don’t Forget to Connect Online!
If you don’t already follow us, check out Hoyas for Others on LinkedIn, Facebook, Hoya Gateway, and our website.
CELEBRATE
Meet these Hoyas making a significant impact in their communities!
Linda Schakel (L ‘86): Making an impact in more than one way
Schakel started as a teacher for gifted elementary school students, and decided to switch career paths (which was unheard of at that time), but she was passionate about Georgetown Law. She went on to specialize in tax policy and tax-exempt financing, and also served as an attorney advisory int he U.S. Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy, where she was responsible for tax legislative and regulatory projects in the areas of tax-exempt bonds, low income housing, empowerment zones and enterprise communities, work-opportunity, and welfare-to-work.
“I can drive around DC and see all of these public good projects that I would not have been able to participate in if I had not gone to Georgetown,” says Schakel.
Bidtah Becker (SFS ‘93): The go-to institutional memory
Becker is currently the Chief Legal Counsel for the Navajo Nation Office of the President and Vice President. She spent formative years as a kid in Albuquerque, where Georgetown’s NCAA championship win put the school on her radar! She shares a lot about influential professors and memories of laughter at Georgetown. But what she credits most is Georgetown’s emphasis of “people in service to others.” She loves working in the law field and with water, because as she puts it “unlike other fields of law, Mother Nature is in control and I like that we’re talking about and working with issues that are … outside of our human control.”
Daniela Hurtado (SPP ‘19), Kitchen of Purpose
A chef by profession, Hurtado has always been passionate about food. She also experienced the inequity of what happens in kitchens, particularly for immigrants or non-English-speaking workers. She found her way to DC Central Kitchen, and became passionate about nonprofits. She is currently the Director of Operations and Programs at Kitchen of Purpose, which uses the power of food to create social and economic change in low-income communities. She shared that the Nonprofit Certificate Program at the Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership has been one of the most rewarding experiences in her professional career!
Check out these exciting social change initiatives on campus!
Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership
Housed within the McCourt School, the GU Center for Public & Nonprofit Leadership provides advanced education in leadership, public and nonprofit management, advocacy and philanthropy, with domestic and international applications.
One of its programs, the Nonprofit Management Executive Certificate, is designed as an experiential leadership lab to explore the pressing issues that nonprofit leaders face and strengthen the management capacity of those working with nonprofit and philanthropic organizations.
On Wed, Oct 16 at 5:30 ET, the Center will offer a virtual Information Session about the Certificate program and an opportunity to meet faculty. To RSVP click here.
The Social Responsibility Network (SRN) is a mentorship program for Georgetown University College of Arts & Sciences students interested in pursuing service-based and social impact careers. Students will have opportunities to learn from College alumni who have found success in service-related industries, from health accessibility to educational administration.
COLLABORATE
Here’s how you can support Hoyas For Others
Be a BellRinger!
On Saturday, October 26, thousands of riders, volunteers, and supporters will set off from Georgetown University on a mission to end cancer. Since 2022, the BellRinger ride has raised over $3M—100% of which is being used to further groundbreaking research at Georgetown Lombardi. Register today.
Give back during National Hunger Awareness Month
Lucie Leblois, (CCT ‘08) co-founder of DC Food Project, is helping school children and their families get additional food during the school day and over the weekends when school meals are not available to them.
The DC Food Project founders created a 501(c)(3) to fill what they refer to as "the gap" -- what happens when lunch is over? This gap has an impact on tens of thousands of students, with 1 in 5 children struggling with hunger in DC alone. In Washington, D.C., there are 72,000 individuals experiencing food insecurity, of whom 17,880 are children.
How can our Hoya Community Help? Donate and/or Volunteer!
Get featured
We will regularly highlight Hoyas doing amazing social impact work in the community. To make it easy to share what you're working on, we've created a short form below that we'll use to share information in our monthly(ish) newsletter. Share your news
Support Hoya-run/founded Organizations
Want to support fellow Hoyas doing awesome work in their communities? Check out our Giving Guide, featuring Hoya-run and/or founded nonprofits. If you have one you’d like us to include, feel free to email us at hoyas4others@gmail.com!
Join our Steering Committee
As we ramp up this year, we are looking to bring on more members onto the steering committee who are passionate about helping to build our network. We are particularly interested in finding alumni who can help lead our Membership, Communications, and Programming goals. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reply to this email and we can find a time to chat more!
Forward to 5 Hoyas
Help us grow our network by forwarding this newsletter to five other like-minded Hoyas encouraging them to join through the links below.
As always, we’d love to hear from you on the work we are doing.
Hoya Saxa!
H4O Steering Committee
H4O is in its first year and incubation phase as an Alumni Alliance/Affinity group. Alumni Alliance/Affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, shared interest, identity or community. Groups seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability for the group. The first phase is an incubation phase where groups begin to recruit volunteers, engage alumni and begin developing an engagement plan to be an active recognized group.
August, 2024 Newsletter
August 2024
Hello fellow Hoyas For Others!
Our aim is to connect, celebrate and foster collaboration among Georgetown University alumni across all schools who are engaged in social impact, social justice, and/or service.
Every few weeks, we’ll be sending out this newsletter to highlight the important work that Hoyas are doing in their communities and on campus, and share events, resources and other opportunities that may be of interest.
If this email was forwarded to you, be sure to subscribe here to receive future newsletters.
CONNECT
Join an APO Service Event
Mu Alpha Alumni Association (the Georgetown University Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega, the National Service Fraternity), has invited Hoyas for Others to join in their quarterly Homes Not Borders service project in the DC area on Saturday, September 14th. The Mu Alpha Alumni are holding three slots for local H4O members who might wish to participate.
This project entails meeting at the Homes Not Borders warehouse in Landover/ North Englewood at 9:30 am, and loading household items and furniture into cars and the Homes Not Borders truck. From there, volunteers drive to a local apartment complex, where they unload the items, build furniture, and set up an apartment for an incoming refugee family. As a rule the project wraps up between noon and 1 pm.
If you'd like to join this fulfilling volunteer opportunity, please email Chris Rutledge, MAAA Vice President of Service, at crnkar@gmail.com, or text him at 202-487-7434.
H4O Upcoming Event In DC
Be on the lookout for more details about our first in-person networking event this Fall with the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA) in DC. Learn more about YANA here.
Don’t Forget to Connect Online!
If you don’t already follow us, check out Hoyas for Others on LinkedIn, Facebook, Hoya Gateway, and our website.
CELEBRATE
Meet these Hoyas making a significant impact in their communities!
Amita Swadhin (SFS '00) founded and co-leads Mirror Memoirs. This national nonprofit uplifts the stories, healing, and leadership of LGBTQI+ survivors of color in the movement to end child sexual abuse. The Mirror Memoirs community is open to anyone who wants to end this violence without leaving any survivors behind and without enacting systemic violence. Two other Hoyas, Carmelo Reyes (SFS '99) and Queen Adesuyi (COL '16) have also been deeply involved - Carmelo as a former Board Member and Queen as its current Board Co-Chair. Learn More.
While at Georgetown, Tiffany Yu (B ‘10) became inspired to start a student group called Diversability, which she later launched as her own company. Today, the alumna is committed to ensuring that disability access and culture continue to grow on campus. Learn More.
Naomi Hansen (B’95) is addressing food insecurity by promoting backyard gardens through her organization, Small Bites. Her initiative provides resources and support to help people grow their own food, aiming to improve access to fresh produce and build self-sufficiency. Hansen’s program not only equips individuals with gardening tools and knowledge but also fosters community engagement and education on sustainable practices. Learn More.
Check out these exciting social change initiatives on campus!
Center for the Study of Slavery and Its Legacies: This center is home to academic and research initiatives connected to Georgetown’s ongoing commitments in Slavery, Memory, and Reconciliation. The Center supports rigorous new scholarship and innovation in disseminating knowledge about the history of enslavement and its past and current legacies.
Street Law at 50: Starting with a single class at Washington, DC’s Eastern High School, the Street Law model has evolved into an international program, adopted for use in law schools across the U.S. and in 45 countries. Launched at the Law Center in 1972, among the program’s alumni is Vice President Kamala Harris, who taught Street Law at Fremont High School while a student at University of California Law San Francisco.
COLLABORATE
Here’s how you can support Hoyas For Others
Be a BellRinger!
On Saturday, October 26, thousands of riders, volunteers, and supporters will set off from Georgetown University on a mission to end cancer. Since 2022, the BellRinger ride has raised over $3M—100% of which is being used to further groundbreaking research at Georgetown Lombardi. Register today.
Support Hoya-run/founded Organizations
Want to support fellow Hoyas doing awesome work in their communities? Check out our Giving Guide, featuring Hoya-run and/or founded nonprofits. If you have one you’d like us to include, feel free to email us at hoyas4others@gmail.com!
Join our Steering Committee
As we ramp up this year, we are looking to bring on more members onto the steering committee who are passionate about helping to build our network. We are particularly interested in finding alumni who can help lead our Membership, Communications, and Programming goals. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reply to this emai and we can find a time to chat more!
Forward to 5 Hoyas
Help us grow our network by forwarding this newsletter to five other like-minded Hoyas encouraging them to join through the links below.
As always, we’d love to hear from you on the work we are doing.
Hoya Saxa!
H4O Steering Committee
H4O is in its first year and incubation phase as an Alumni Alliance/Affinity group. Alumni Alliance/Affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, shared interest, identity or community. Groups seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability for the group. The first phase is an incubation phase where groups begin to recruit volunteers, engage alumni and begin developing an engagement plan to be an active recognized group.
June, 2024 Newsletter
June 2024
Hello fellow Hoyas For Others!
Our aim is to connect, celebrate and foster collaboration among Georgetown University alumni across all schools who are engaged in social impact, social justice, and/or service.
Every month, we’ll be sending out this newsletter to highlight the important work that Hoyas are doing in their communities and on campus, and share events, resources and other opportunities that may be of interest.
CONNECT
H4O Upcoming Event In DC
Be on the lookout for more details about our in-person fall networking event with the Yale Alumni Nonprofit Alliance (YANA) in person in DC. Learn more about YANA here.
H4O Open Houses Off to a Great Start!
On June 20, H4O held its first virtual Open House, which provided a chance for Hoyas for Others to connect with one another, ask questions, and learn more about future plans. In attendance were current Georgetown undergrads, early and mid-career alumni working in the nonprofit space, a leader of Hoyas with Pride, and a representative of the Cawley Career Center.
As the initial gathering, we also used the event as a focus group to help us think through our ongoing ‘incubation’ focus and strategies. Read more here.
Don’t Forget to Connect Online!
If you don’t already follow us, check out Hoyas For Others on LinkedIn, Facebook, Hoya Gateway, and our website.
CELEBRATE
Meet these Hoyas making a significant impact in their communities!
Brianna Rogers (MPM’20) is an Initiative Officer at The San Francisco Foundation, which works to ensure that everyone in the Bay Area has a chance to get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and have a strong political voice. Learn more. Learn more.
Rand Hoch (C’77), LGBTQ+ activist and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, received the President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award. Learn more.Learn more.
Eric Pohlman (SFS’04) co-founded One Acre Fund, a social enterprise that delivers tools and training to help smallholder farmers in Africa become more prosperous. Learn more. Learn more.
Check out these exciting social change initiatives on campus!
The LGBTQ Resource Center: This center supports the queer community at Georgetown through resources, outreach, advocacy, and programming designed to aid students throughout their journey’s at Georgetown and beyond. Programming includes the annual OUTober events and the Lavender graduation.
The Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor: The labor center empowers working people to build an equitable, sustainable, and democratic economy through envisioning and creating new resources and strategies. The Initiative publishes research, creates student learning experiences, and spearheads programming for labor spring, immigrant rights in DC, racial economic empowerment, and more.
COLLABORATE
Here’s how you can support Hoyas For Others
Support Hoya-run/founded Organizations
The Georgetown Prisons and Justice Initiative is preparing for the upcoming semester by collecting books and school supplies to help currently incarcerated students pursue their education. Donate supplies via their Amazon Wish List.
Join our Steering Committee
As we ramp up this year, we are looking to bring on more members onto the steering committee who are passionate about helping to build our network. We are particularly interested in finding alumni who can help lead our Membership, Communications, and Programming goals. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reply to this email and we can find a time to chat more!
Forward to 5 Hoyas
Help us grow our network by forwarding this newsletter to five other like-minded Hoyas encouraging them to join through the links below.
Are you looking for a job?
Check out this opportunity for being the Director of Student and Community Relations – Kalmanovitz Initiative (KI) for Labor and the Working Poor
As always, we’d love to hear from you on the work we are doing.
Hoya Saxa!
H4O Steering Committee
H4O is in its first year and incubation phase as an Alumni Alliance/Affinity group. Alumni Alliance/Affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, shared interest, identity or community. Groups seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability for the group. The first phase is an incubation phase where groups begin to recruit volunteers, engage alumni and begin developing an engagement plan to be an active recognized group.
May, 2024 Newsletter
May 2024
Hello fellow Hoyas For Others!
First of all - thank you! For being a Hoya for Others, and for being part of this growing community.
As you may know, H4O is in its first year, incubation phase as an Alumni Alliance/Affinity group.*
Our aim is to connect, celebrate and foster collaboration among Georgetown University alumni across all schools who are engaged in social impact, social justice, and/or service.
Every month, we’ll be sending out this newsletter to highlight the important work that Hoyas are doing in their communities and on campus, and share events, resources and other opportunities that may be of interest.
Madison is a rising junior (C’26) majoring in American Studies and minoring in government and international development. She aspires to work in the social impact field and is passionate about gun violence prevention, financial security, and housing affordability. Read more.
CONNECT
June 20 @ 12 pm EDT: H4O Open House
This is a chance to connect with fellow Hoyas for Others, ask questions, and learn more about our plans for the future! Register today and share with your Hoya networks!
June 4 @ 7 pm EST: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 After 60 Years: Challenges and Questions for Voters and the Nation in 2024
Sixty years after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, what’s changed and what has not? This dialogue with the Rev. Jim Wallis, Diann Rust-Tierney, Sr. Cora Marie Billings and Kessley Janvier (C’25) will explore how faith calls us to secure the essential freedoms that the Civil Rights Act protected. The event is hosted by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life and is located in Copley Formal Lounge with a livestream option.
CELEBRATE
Meet these Hoyas making a significant impact in their communities!
Alyssa Erin Kardos Loera (NHS’21), CEO of ReMade in Cambodia, hosts first fashion show, turning river waste into sustainable fashion while supporting Cambodian arts. Learn more.
Jordan Denari Duffner (SFS’13), author, educator, and public theologian, wins Moira Erin O’Donnell Emerging Leaders for Justice Award. Learn more.
Akil Cole (C’24) serves on the Community Ecology Institute Board of Directors, using community-based sustainable agriculture to combat climate change. Learn more.
Check out these exciting social change initiatives on campus!
Center on Gender Justice and Opportunity: This center within Georgetown Law aims to eliminate gender and racial disparities in education, healthcare, and the legal system. Their areas of focus include the adultification bias, the school to prison pipeline, trauma and mental health, juvenile justice, restorative justice practices, and storytelling. The center’s research, innovative policy and practice solutions, and public system recommendations are guided by youths’ narratives and voices.
The Earth Commons Institute: Georgetown’s hub for environmental and sustainability innovation, research, and eduction accelerates action on the most pressing issues of our earth. Through its robust programming the Earth Commons Institute publishes and funds research, creates interdisciplinary learning experiences, and creates opportunities for action through campus sustainability, student groups, and the arts.
Hoyas Gave Baxa!
This was the 11th year of Hoyas Give Baxa, a coordinated day of community service sponsored by the Georgetown University Alumni Association and local Georgetown Clubs worldwide. Hoyas volunteered with nonprofits such as Cradles to Crayons and Wake Up and Read. Take a look at the great turn-out of Hoyas for their communities!
COLLABORATE
Here’s how you can support Hoyas For Others
Support Hoya-run/founded Organizations
Want to support fellow Hoyas doing awesome work in their communities? Check out our Giving Guide, featuring Hoya-run and/or founded nonprofits. If you have one you’d like us to include, feel free to email us at hoyas4others@gmail.com!
Join our Steering Committee
As we ramp up this year, we are looking to bring on more members onto the steering committee who are passionate about helping to build our network. We are particularly interested in finding alumni who can help lead our Membership, Communications, and Programming goals. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reply to this email and we can find a time to chat more!
Forward to 5 Hoyas
Help us grow our network by forwarding this newsletter to five other like-minded Hoyas encouraging them to join through the links below.
If you don’t already follow us, check out Hoyas For Others on LinkedIn, Facebook, Hoya Gateway, and our website.
Hoya Saxa!
H4O Steering Committee
*Alumni Alliance/Affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, shared interest, identity or community. Groups seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability for the group. The first phase is an incubation phase where groups begin to recruit volunteers, engage alumni and begin developing an engagement plan to be an active recognized group.
April, 2024 Inaugural Newsletter
April 2024
Hello fellow Hoyas For Others!
First of all - thank you! For being a Hoya for Others, and for being part of this growing community.
As you may know, H4O is in its first year, incubation phase as an Alumni Alliance/Affinity group.*
Our aim is to connect, celebrate and foster collaboration among Georgetown University alumni across all schools who are engaged in social impact, social justice, and/or service.
Every month, we’ll be sending out this newsletter to highlight the important work that Hoyas are doing in their communities and on campus, and share events, resources and other opportunities that may be of interest.
CONNECT
April 12 @ 12 pm EST: Hoyas Advancing Mental Health Webinar
In collaboration with the Cawley Career Education Center, H4O and its fellow incubation group, Hoyas in Health, are sponsoring a webinar on April 18 in advance of Mental Health Month in May. Several alumni will share how they are making a difference in the field of mental health, as well as more about their career paths, the challenges facing the field, and opportunities that give them the most optimism. Register today and share with your Hoya networks!
May 4: Hoyas Give Baxa
Now in its 11th year, Hoyas Give Baxa is a coordinated day of community service sponsored by the Georgetown University Alumni Association and local Georgetown Clubs worldwide. H4O is promoting this year’s event, which will take place on Saturday, May 4. Check out the Hoyas Give Baxa page for more details.
CELEBRATE
Meet these Hoyas making a significant impact in their communities!
Reginald L. Douglas (C’09), Artistic Director of Mosaic Theater Company and recipient of the 2024 John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award. Learn more.
Darius Baxter (C’16), CEO & Co-founder of GOODProjects and a recipient of the 2024 Marcia G. Cooke Award. Learn more.
Daniela Fernandez (C’17), Founder & CEO of the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, and recipient of the 2023 Georgetown Entrepreneurship Alliance Best of Social Impact Award. Learn more.
Check out these exciting social change initiatives on campus!
Health Justice Alliance: The HJA is a collaboration between Georgetown University Medical Center and Georgetown Law, in partnership with Georgetown’s academic health system partner, MedStar Health. As students work with law and medical faculty, providers, and staff to assist patients who struggle with unmet legal needs related to housing, food, insurance, employment, education, and other issues that negatively impact their health and well-being, they learn how more holistic patient care can advance health justice and racial equity in the District and beyond.
Prisons and Justice Initiative: Through its robust programming, the Prisons and Justice Initiative offers higher education opportunities, reentry support, and advocacy work that transform lives and uplift people affected by the criminal legal system.
COLLABORATE
Here’s how you can support Hoyas For Others
Support Hoya-run/founded Organizations
Want to support fellow Hoyas doing awesome work in their communities? Check out our Giving Guide, featuring Hoya-run and/or founded nonprofits. If you have one you’d like us to include, feel free to email us at hoyas4others@gmail.com!
Join our Steering Committee
As we ramp up this year, we are looking to bring on more members onto the steering committee who are passionate about helping to build our network. We are particularly interested in finding alumni who can help lead our Membership, Communications, and Programming goals. If you are interested in learning more, feel free to reply to this email and we can find a time to chat more!
Forward to 5 Hoyas
Help us grow our network by forwarding this newsletter to five other like-minded Hoyas encouraging them to join through the links below.
If you don’t already follow us, check out Hoyas For Others on LinkedIn, Facebook, Hoya Gateway, and our website.
Hoya Saxa!
James, Mary, Mariam, and Phil
H4O Steering Committee
*Alumni Alliance/Affinity groups provide a way for Georgetown University alumni to organize around an industry, shared interest, identity or community. Groups seeking to create a new alliance/affinity group follow a phased multi-year approach to demonstrate interest and sustainability for the group. The first phase is an incubation phase where groups begin to recruit volunteers, engage alumni and begin developing an engagement plan to be an active recognized group.