Over the years, Mikey Lopez (SFS’25) has worn many hats: service member, father, analyst and student. While at Georgetown as an international economics (IECO) major, he placed his dedication to public service at the forefront of his experience.
An unconventional journey to the Hilltop
“By the age of twenty-two, I had completed thirty parachute jumps, led troops in close quarters combat operations in both rural and urban environments and graduated from U.S. Army Ranger School,” Lopez begins.
His path has been different from that of many other undergraduates, yet it is marked by service in the best tradition of SFS. Following his high school graduation, Lopez enlisted in the United States Army, serving in the elite 82nd Airborne Division for five years. Shortly after departing the military, Lopez welcomed his son, Thomas, into the world, trading in barracks for bibs.
During his time at a local community college and the University of Texas at Austin, Lopez studied abroad in Ukraine and Kazakhstan. He also spent time in Tbilisi, Georgia, as part of the U.S. State Department’s Critical Language Scholarship Program. In this time, he achieved professional fluency in Russian and gained a first-hand view of the challenges and opportunities faced by post-Soviet countries.
Drawn to the intersections
Following his return from his time overseas, Lopez enrolled at Georgetown, drawn to the IECO major’s intersectional curriculum in which students can specialize in fields such as mathematics or international finance and trade. As someone with experience across a variety of fields, including international affairs and more quantitative disciplines, it seemed like the perfect fit. “The IECO program is a true ‘Jack of all trades,’” he says.
But it was an SFS core class—Maps of the Modern World, with Professor Mark Giordano—that stood out the most. Lopez noted that Giordano gave a valuable introduction to the unique geopolitical focus of SFS, and that the class “ also deepened my understanding of the Eastern European and Central Asian regions in which I had lived,” complementing his prior experiences.
SFS Associate Dean Polly Robey also played a key role in shaping Lopez’s time on the Hilltop, helping him curate his time at the university to adapt to his unique circumstances: “Thanks to Dean Robey, I was able to graduate in two years and make the most of my Georgetown experience.”
Part of that experience included his involvement in the Georgetown Boxing Club, where he was an active member.
Exposure to global development
In addition to his academic pursuits, Lopez quickly sought to make the most of nearby professional opportunities. Motivated by his time in Ukraine, he joined a nonprofit that provides aid to orphaned children following Russia’s 2022 invasion.
“My most impactful achievement was raising fifteen thousand dollars for the construction of a bomb shelter in Kherson, Ukraine, for Ukrainian orphans affected by the war,” he says.
He also worked as a program analyst for USAID’s Bureau for Resilience, Environment and Food Security. During his time there, he recruited students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds to find placements in STEM programs, helping to expand the reach of his office’s talent.
Departing Georgetown Armed with New Skills
While Lopez initially considered a career at USAID post-graduation, following its closure in 2025, he quickly used the Georgetown network to pivot to a new line of work: management consulting. Just like development, he has been able to apply his SFS skills in the field and connect with top firms. And for Lopez, it’s all about having the motivation to try ever harder: “Being surrounded by some of the brightest minds in DC was truly a rewarding experience that pushed me to an academic level that I did not think was possible.”