Meet this year’s commencement speaker, Alex Zafran! Get to know this campus celebrity before he gives his speech at graduation on May 20th.
Name: Alexander Zafran
Year: 2013
Hometown: Boca Raton, Florida
Major: Classical Studies
Campus Activities: VP Chabad GW, University Honors Program, Global Colonial, Admissions
What opportunities do you think GW has given you over your four years?
GW basically has let me, not in a cocky way, do whatever I wanted. I came here as a political science major and was able to find my way to classical studies. I wanted to take Italian, and I was able to do it. I wanted to study abroad, and I could do it. Whatever internship I wanted I could make happen. GW is just an atmosphere where if you want to get a certain kind of experience or make a relationship with a professor, you can do it. Everyone is so ambitious, and it helps that you wake up every day and you know that your friends are going off to the Hill, going to class, doing community service, and working on some amazing things.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned while at GW?
You have to break your comfort zone, especially since GW is filled with people from pockets across the country and has students from all over the world. You need to be able to wake up everyday and say what am I good at and, more importantly, what do I need to get better at? If there’s an art class you have always wanted to take, regardless what people will think of you, you have to take the class. You have to challenge yourself.
What GW memory stands out to you the most?
One of the best experiences was interviewing potential freshmen for the admissions office. You interview these kids, and they are so ready, organized, and a little bit nervous, but you can see how much raw passion they have for the university. One of the greatest things was around March and April when you get this email, “Thanks Alex. I did it,” and you are the one who interviewed these students. You are responsible for bringing a new mind to the university, which is great.
Why did you want to give the commencement address?
I remember seeing the announcement last year when I was abroad in Rome and thinking that would be pretty great to do a year from now. When the announcement came around this year, I thought how could I compete with amazing students with every qualification imaginable. I did it for fun, and I gave it a twist that I thought was unique to me. No one was going to write a speech about ancient Rome. I wanted to say that I got an education that I don’t think I could have gotten anywhere else.
When people listen to your speech what do you want them to take away from it?
I want them to know that education is more active than just sitting in a classroom and listening and taking notes. It is not a permanent part of your life and is supposed to prepare you for what comes next. Everyone will move in different directions afterwards, but we have had everyone from professors to academic advisors to help us along the way. Now we have to do it all over again. We have to reinvent ourselves and pick ourselves up and move on.
Do you have advice for underclassmen?
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. You learn so much more from your mistakes than your successes. When you are successful you just keep doing what you are doing and you may not realize how you can improve the process. Sometimes getting through mistakes is tough, but you have to pull through. You are not going to get better until you realize how you can improve.
Her Campus GWU wishes Alex the best of luck in his future endeavors. Congrats on graduating!