Living and Learning: 10 days in Washington D.C.

This might sound sentimental or cliché, but finding the correct words to reflect on this experience has never been so difficult. The ten days spent at Washington D.C. were easily the best ten days of my life; truthfully, was more than just a thought, but a feeling. My ten days in Summer Institute introduced me to a plethora of new experiences, both academic and social.

Our schedule was packed with a wide range of unique activities. At GW, I was exposed to a field that I might never have gained exposure to until I was working in the real world: Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship. We had the chance to explore and examine the main components of creating, developing, sustaining and leading a new social venture. Rolling up our sleeves and developing our own social venture idea in teams was a transformative experience. Having to work closely with my peers in the classroom pushed me to step up my leadership and communication skills while simultaneously keeping up with rigorous coursework. Prof. Stuart Levy who brought his positive energy and dedication into the classroom every single day made our classes even more engaging and exceptional.

Besides the classes, we visited multiple places. Among these places, two of them really stood up from the rest with their lasting impact on me. First one is the Halcyon House, which is also referred to as “Incubator”. In this incubator we met with Mike Malloy . During his speech he mentioned that their aim is to give more, not to give back because to “give back” could be objectionable to some of us as it implies that we have previously “taken something”. Furthermore, Halcyon opened so many doors to diverse groups of change makers no matter how successful their projects would be in the future. It was obvious that failure is inevitable and the most important takeaway I have learnt was to stand up and smile, and always be ready to convey passion for our bold ideas.

When I heard that former President Barack Obama and former Vice President Joe Biden visited Dog Tag Bakery just one day before us I was upset that we missed them but I acknowledged that there should have 
been something special about this bakery that made Obama go there. From the outside, Dog Tag Bakery seemed like a typical pastry and coffee shop. But when we stepped inside, I quickly realized that this cafe was offering more than a hot cup of joe. Dog Tag Bakery’s mission was to offer an ecosystem of living business school and hands-on experience to veterans and military families once their service uniform comes off for good. After having a look inside the bakery we were lucky enough to have the chance of having conversation with veterans, all of whom made tremendous sacrifices in service to their nation. They all said that for so long, they just followed the orders of the nation but now they wake up one day and get to do whatever they want to do. 

In conclusion, while I'm beginning to miss waking up to such a breathtaking campus, I find myself appreciating the smaller moments shared among friends and classmates the most. GW Cyprus Youth Summer Institute is truly an invaluable, once-in-a-life-time experience . It has claimed its place in my heart and will do so for a good long while. 

Tugce, 2J :)