“In terms of Georgetown, I’ve made my closest friends at this school and know that beyond graduation, the network I have from Georgetown is something I’ll always cherish,” says Georgie Wilson (SFS’24).
Wilson, originally from Sydney, Australia, and now living in Moorestown, New Jersey, is graduating this spring with a major in global business and a minor in Latin American studies. Interested in the intersection between finance and sustainability, Wilson was able to explore her passions through the vast range of opportunities that Georgetown provides.
Throughout her academic pursuits, Wilson found inspiration and guidance from faculty mentors whose support shaped both her academic and professional journeys. “My thesis advisor Robin King has been a great mentor to me in helping me understand more about both my academic and professional development. Additionally, Catherine Novelli had one of the best classes I’ve taken at Georgetown, and she has offered me valuable advice about how to navigate prioritizing work in the private versus the public sector,” she says.
The Path to Sustainable Investing
Reflecting on her academic journey, Wilson recalls two standout classes—the Krogh Seminar and ESG [environmental, social and governance] Investing—as pivotal in igniting her passion for sustainable investing. The Krogh Seminar, named for SFS Dean Emeritus Peter Krogh, offers 15 highly qualified students the opportunity to work closely with a senior member of the faculty each year while addressing a theme of central importance in international affairs. “During the Krogh seminar, I got to understand climate change through a variety of different perspectives,” Wilson says. “This class led me to ESG Investing, which had the coolest projects I’ve gotten to do at school; I never thought I’d be building and modeling an ESG-conscious financial portfolio, but I’m so happy there were classes at Georgetown that really allowed me to explore my interests,” Wilson says.
Along with her academics, Wilson pursued many extracurricular activities that broadened her experiences on campus. She was involved with DCivitas Consulting, Hilltop Microfinance Initiative (HMFI), Georgetown Rangila, Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Sorority, and Scholars of Finance during her time on the Hilltop.
Beyond the classroom, Wilson’s endeavors extended into the professional sphere through a series of internships and roles. From her time at the Women’s Foreign Policy Group to her stint at the Bank of Montreal as a global markets summer analyst, she honed her skills and expertise in diverse settings, laying the groundwork for her future endeavors. During her senior year, she has been working as a Science & Solutions intern at the Climate Reality Project.
Finding Community at Georgetown
Within the vibrant community of the School of Foreign Service, Wilson found a nurturing environment that fostered growth and collaboration. She cherishes the camaraderie and intellectual stimulation provided by her peers and esteemed professors, including during the pandemic where she saw the resilience of the SFS community.
She says, “I really love the fact that the SFS offers the proseminar during freshman fall. I think it really opened my eyes to different perspectives that I may never have seen if I were in a different school at Georgetown. Additionally, I think the push that the SFS made to create a community during Covid was amazing (including the great trivia nights that I would participate in)!”
Looking back on her undergraduate journey, Wilson emphasizes the importance of seizing every opportunity and venturing beyond one’s comfort zone. She encourages incoming students to embrace the richness of Georgetown’s offerings, from academic seminars to extracurricular activities, as each experience contributes to personal and intellectual growth.
“Take advantage of every day, every speaking opportunity, and every moment! Georgetown offers the coolest events and honestly the most incredible speakers, so make the most of it – and break outside your comfort zone! If you like business, go to a writing workshop; it will teach you so much more than you expect.”
She also emphasizes exploring social groups outside of the SFS, available through the many interdisciplinary classes and clubs on campus. She says, “You don’t have to stay isolated in your school; so many of my friends are outside of the SFS as well as within it, and I’m so happy I have such a variety of different thinkers in my close circle. By not being in an echo chamber, it really has allowed me to learn more about myself and other people, while also really loving that there are close friends of mine who are just as passionate about certain global issues as I am.”
As she prepares to graduate, Wilson reflects on what she will miss as she plans for her professional career. “The different interactions you get from being on a smaller campus is something I love; nowadays, I usually can’t walk across Copley Lawn without seeing someone I know and I love that! I’ll miss it more each year.”
Wilson plans to come back to the Hilltop to complete a master’s degree in sustainability management, but in the meantime has exciting plans for post-graduation life working as a global markets analyst at the Bank of Montreal in New York City. She credits the courses in the global business major with helping her see the connections between business and international affairs, saying that without them, “I would never be in the place I am today. In my career, I will continue to look at issues with a global perspective, and maintain the ideals that the SFS has instilled in me!”