GW Senior Builds Alumni Connections While Making Post-Grad Plans

Authored by:

When Anna Ward got her acceptance letter to George Washington University, she was determined to take advantage of the opportunities that come with attending a school in the heart of Washington, D.C.

Now, as Ward begins her senior year, she has already built a resume filled with diverse internships.

She is a public health major with a minor in business management and leadership. Since her degree offers a broad range of career possibilities, she has made sure to use her time at GW to explore the different industries and fields she could enter.

So far, Ward has interned with a consulting firm on a minority health contract with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, worked on Capitol Hill for former West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, interned with the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy through the White House Internship Program and interned at Cigna to explore the insurance side of the health care industry.

"I never thought about it in terms of, I need to build a resume," Ward said. "I wanted to try on different hats and figure out what felt like a good fit."

As she plans for life after graduation, in addition to finding internship opportunities, she's also tapped into GW's alumni network for career advice.

"When there's a posting I'm interested in, I've kind of taken it upon myself to do a quick LinkedIn search and find alumni who work there or can give me advice," Ward said. "When you reach out, they are so willing to be helpful. They want to help guide you through the process, and I've never had a negative experience with reaching out for mentorship or help with career advice."

When Ward wanted guidance on breaking into consulting without a traditional business background, she did a Google search to find GW alumni who could offer advice. Her search led her to a GW Today article from 10 years agofeaturing Tom Barry, B.A. '15, who at the time was a senior landing a consulting role at Deloitte.

She looked Barry up on LinkedIn and saw that over the years, he had worked in a wide range of fields, from consulting to health care. "I was like, all right, this guy went on a really cool road. I just want to hear what he has to say," Ward said.

Barry said he's always glad to hear from current GW students who reach out to him for career advice. "When the students reach out, it's kind of like a full-circle moment," Barry said. "I've had great mentors in my life, I've always enjoyed giving that back."

After their initial Zoom call, the two kept in touch regularly, and he's been a valuable mentor to Ward.

"He's been wonderful. Over the past summer, we checked in every week or so. He happened to be in D.C. one week, so we had a chance to get coffee and just talk about life and what's next. It's kind of blossomed into a great mentorship and resource for me," Ward said.

Barry has not only offered advice but also helped her prepare for case interviews and expand her network by introducing her to other professionals in the consulting and health care industries.

Ward said figuring out plans after college can be stressful, but speaking with Barry, who started out in the Elliott School of International Affairs and eventually found his way into consulting and health care, showed her that the path forward doesn't have to be linear.

"He's definitely helped with reminding me that I don't need to have it all figured out," Ward said.

One of the biggest messages Barry hopes to impart to students is that you're never going to be completely certain about the right next step after graduation, and that's OK. What matters, he says, is being open to change, continuing to explore and making sure you're doing something that feels meaningful.

It's a mindset he's followed in his own career. Throughout his professional journey, Barry has consistently sought out opportunities that challenged him to grow, even if that meant switching industries or stepping into unfamiliar roles. From consulting at Deloitte, Barry has gone on to work in roles spanning product development, IT transformation and now leads his own AI strategy consultancy.

"You don't have to have it all figured out," Barry said. "Even 10 years later, I'm still figuring it out. The important thing is to give yourself space to reflect and lean on people you trust, whether that's parents, professors or friends, and not feel like you have to navigate everything alone. There's a lot of noise out there, but being honest about your questions helps."

That's one of the biggest benefits of connecting with alumni networks, Barry said. It gives students access to real-world advice and offers alumni the chance to reflect, give back and stay connected to the GW community that helped shape them.

"Building those relationships is rewarding for everyone," Barry said.

Ward said the kind of support alumni are willing to provide to students is part of what makes the GW community so special.

"I came to GW wanting to just make the most of the resources here," she added. "Everyone jokes about those '#onlyatGW moments,' but it's so true. Only at GW can you have some of these experiences. I'm so grateful that I've had access to these kinds of opportunities."