In his time on the Hilltop, Jonathan Lee (SFS’24) explored the vast array of options that the Georgetown curriculum provides. An international history major concentrating on the history of European diplomacy between 1750 and 1950, with a minor in art history, Lee’s classes exposed him to the best of both the SFS and the College of Arts and Sciences. He leaves Georgetown with a tight-knit “second family,” having found a supportive group of friends and teachers to guide him through his college years.
Adjusting to the SFS Style of Study
While Lee had always been drawn to history, he was particularly excited to see how he could combine that interest with international affairs at SFS. “[International history] was a way that I could channel my interest in European history and study the geopolitical trends that affect Europe and the world to this day,” he explains. “I have always appreciated the curriculum’s flexibility in allowing me to choose the direction I want to take my concentration…I have taken classes that I never thought I would ever take and managed to apply them to my studies.”
Lee first got a taste for the SFS style of teaching in his proseminar, Tsar and People: Leadership and Citizenship in Russia from the Romanovs to Putin, with Professor Jennifer Long. “[Tsar and People] was a great introduction to what to expect from my studies at the SFS, as we were challenged to think critically of how the historical political culture of Russia affects its political landscape in the modern day,” Lee remembers.
Lee also found that the flexibility of the SFS curriculum allowed him to take classes that were academically rigorous but still played to his strengths. Reflecting on one of his favorite classes, American Gothic Fiction with Professor Niles Tomlinson, Lee says: “The class was both extremely engaging and very entertaining and was an experience that I would live again. Throughout the course we were encouraged by Professor Tomlinson to be creative, an environment I thrive in.”
Community and Pride in Heritage
Raised in Taipei, Taiwan, Lee immersed himself in the Chinese and East Asian community on campus. During his time with the club, he served as the advocacy chair and later senior advisor of the Chinese Student Alliance, which deeply shaped his time at Georgetown. “As a Chinese American on campus I felt very welcomed to be a part of the wider Asian American community at Georgetown and was very happy to participate in their events and represent my Chinese heritage in the Chinese Student Alliance (CSA) in a variety of ways,” Lee says. “From being a member of their board to representing the club in the Mr. Georgetown pageant, I have felt that I was able to express my heritage with pride on campus.”
Lee has also benefited academically and socially from the closeness of the SFS community as a whole, particularly close to home. “I have alway valued the support [that] SFS students have with each other,” he says. “My roommates, all of whom are in the SFS, have been some of the most supportive people I know, as we encourage each other in our respective concentrations and help each other out achieve our goals.”
Cherished Memories
As Lee prepares to leave Georgetown, he reflects on the “mosaic of memories” that make up his college experience. From a massive snowball fight on Healy Lawn in January 2024 to watching Sylvester Stallone’s Rocky series with his friends from sophomore year, Lee treasures the smaller moments that have connected him to his fellow Hoyas.
“The people and community first and foremost is what I will miss the most,” Lee emphasizes. “From my friends to my teachers, whom I have all enjoyed very much, I have come to consider these people my second family. From the teachers who played the role of being my mentor, to my friends who I have laughed and cried with, I will never forget the memories I have made with them and will cherish them forever.”