Gabrielle transferred to Marymount with the hope, that given her various high school credits and the credits from her previous college, she could graduate in three years, rather than four.  “I wasn’t certain if that was possible as a politics major, so my advisor suggested a Liberal Studies major. That decision was crucial to my being able to accomplish my goal to graduate within 3 years. It allowed me to choose the classes in my concentrations that I was most interested in. It also gave me the flexibility to be able to work and intern, while I was taking classes.

One of the highlights of getting a degree from MU was the internship for credit program. Being able to intern and gaining invaluable experience, while fulfilling a graduation requirement and getting credits, definitely propelled me to where I am today in the U.S. Senate as an Executive Assistant. Overall, Marymount is an excellent college for transfer students, focusing on career readiness and offering flexible majors that allow students to work and intern while completing their degree.”

Isaiah explored five study abroad programs and worked full time his senior year on Capitol Hill for a U.S. senator while earning his bachelor’s in Business Administration in three years. Among other reasons, he chose MU for its D.C. connections, international campus community and small classes with faculty-mentors. He found his expectations exceeded. “I spent two weeks in El Salvador conducting data qualitative research on migration with Dr. Matt Bakker, a tremendous role model in his research process and his work ethic.” Isaiah holds a similar enthusiasm for Marymount’s Center for Global Education. “I couldn’t imagine a better study abroad program!” When his internship on the Hill was over, Isaiah was asked to stay on by the senator’s staff because he was helping their office draft a policy initiative on education. “My plans are to seek a permanent position on the Hill for a few years before pursing a master’s in economics or an MBA.”

Throughout her four years at Marymount, Maria acquired a tremendous range of skills in a variety of scientific fields, taking on research projects involving stellar astrophysics, 3D printing of prosthetic arms, and revolutionizing learning approaches for organic chemistry. As a senior, she learned about astrobiology and the possibility of interning at NASA. She explains, “Marymount invited me to come out of my comfort zone.” Dr. Todd Rimkus, chair of Department of Biology & Physical Sciences, encouraged her to participate and mentored her through her first study-abroad – an experience that helped build her confidence enough to later on apply for the NASA internship. Only one in five applicants is chosen for the competitive NASA slots. Maria was selected and after graduation spent her summer as an intern analyzing the chemical makeup of comets at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland.

A resident of Kuwait since birth, Hansel is an Indian citizen who chose Marymount because of the school’s scholarship opportunities, its Catholic identity, and his major. His goal is to enter the accelerated master’s IT program to get his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in five years. “Living on a small campus gives me a close-knit community and most resources are only a hop, skip and jump away. Leadership positions in student government, peer mentoring, Campus Ministry and as Student Ambassador helped me develop critical skills in team building, conflict management and critical thinking. I am introverted by nature, but putting myself out there as a campus leader has helped me become a ‘people person.’ I have also discovered technical stage production with the MU actors guild, which has given me a whole new passion for technical lighting, If I am able to find a way to combine both IT and theatrical production in one career, that’s an instant win!”

Emily chose Marymount because of its Catholic identity and she wanted a small liberal arts college close to D.C. “Leadership positions with Campus Ministry and as a peer mentor and Student Ambassador have helped me come to love Marymount as I do. I want to help people make the most of their experience here. I love meeting prospective families and getting to know new students. It’s really exciting to see how what I am doing affects the lives of other students and their decisions about college.”

“I had never thought about cybersecurity until I heard about MU’s program from a student at NOVA. When I first transferred here, I wanted to be a programmer – but when I heard guys talking about Certified Ethical Hackers (a.k.a. White Hat Hackers) for the government or private security firms, I saw I could make a difference in the world – and help secure our national infrastructure. Being an ethical hacker is pretty cool. You break things and tell people how to fix them and you do it ethically.”

Never afraid to get her hands dirty, Christina learned construction from the ground up at a remodeling company. “When I realized that design involves more than just interior decorating, I transferred from NOVA to Marymount’s CIDA-accredited interior design program.” At MU, she won top prize for an urban hotel lobby design in a national competition, which included a paid internship with a DC design house. “My focus has now transitioned from designing residential spaces to commercial spaces. My capstone project is a pop-up park and café that allows users to enjoy a park-like atmosphere during the winter season, offering food at the café during the day and cocktails at the bar at night. After graduation, I want to specialize in designing hospitality spaces, and, later on, I would love to study architecture.”

Collin Chartier earned his USA Triathlon Elite license in 2014 and took fourth place in the 2016 USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championships. Collin has a passion for physiology, bio mechanics, and understanding sports injuries that came from dealing with his own injuries as a competitive swimmer, cross country runner and triathlete. “I was the first recruit for the nation’s first varsity triathlon program here at Marymount. I have a unique opportunity to combine my studies in class with my training on the course. I get to do hands-on research with my professors on issues in athletic performance I couldn’t do at other schools as an undergrad.”

“At the end of the day, my motivation is to help people.” So while earning a biology degree to prepare for medical school, Lauren Coaxum also co-founded a non-profit anti-cyber bullying website, which gives her a platform to blog, vlog and speak at conferences to raise awareness about teen online bullying and promote using the internet to make a positive impact.”

As an undergrad biology major, Kristin traveled to Belize and helped tag the endangered hawksbill, at risk from hunting and habitat destruction. Back at the MU turtle labs, she tracks its migratory patterns. “I also got an embryology research grant through our DISCOVER program. I was able to work independently, but also with a faculty mentor to learn best research practices. Being here has definitely enhanced my career goals in science in so many ways not possible at a larger school.”