Name: Ari Massefski
Year: 2015
Hometown: Sharon, Massachusetts.
What influenced you to attend this school?
Before I came to GW, I spent a year living in Jerusalem, Israel, and studying through a program at the University of Oxford. After living in Jerusalem, one of the most exciting cities in the world, I knew I wanted to remain in a city; Washington, D.C., with its mix of culture and politics, was the perfect match.
What organizations are you involved here?
I’m very politically active, in both campus and professional politics. I am a member of the College Republicans and the College Democrats. I am a GPS Guide, or a sort of mentor for incoming freshmen to help them acclimate to college life. And I am an officer in the Student Association, GW’s student government.
What do you do as an officer in the Student Association?
As Director of New Students in the Student Association, I am responsible for reaching out to the incoming freshmen and transfer students, welcoming them to GW, and providing them with resources as they get settled at college. Along with the Assistant Director of New Students, the only freshman representative in the SA Executive, I’m also responsible for all student-based advocacy on behalf of incoming freshmen and transfer students. It’s an important responsibility, since our job is to make sure that the incoming class has a better experience each year. We take the job seriously and have fun doing it!
How do you handle your schoolwork with your orgs and social life?
It’s tough. Between my efforts to reach out to every freshman, my meetings with university administrators, and the time I spend with my friends, I often have a lot of trouble getting my schoolwork done efficiently. I do my best by budgeting my time, blocking out times on my calendar in which I am only allowed do schoolwork, and working together with the entire Student Association team to lessen the burden on all of us.
What are your hopes after graduation?
I’d like to graduate first, preferably in four years! Until then, I hope to remain involved with the Student Association to build awareness of student issues and find solutions to problems that affect students across both campuses.
What would you say is one of your greatest achievements?
I was proud to be able to communicate with so many incoming freshmen and transfer students during the summer of 2012. After putting my name out there and offering to assist everybody with their transition, I was deeply gratified to receive such an overwhelming response. Between the 1,000 incoming students who added me as a friend on Facebook, and the hundreds who sent me emails with questions about life at GW, I found many new friends and I hope that the freshmen found a useful resource. I look forward to continuing the conversation as the year progresses, and maybe even getting to know some of next year’s freshmen as well!