Meet Six Awesome Student Employees

GW student employees John Lesniak, Morgan Seiler, Alex Hire, Sarah Pierson, Adjoa Bruce and Mike Lees in front of the Alumni House.
GW student employees John Lesniak, Morgan Seiler, Alex Hire, Sarah Pierson, Adjoa Bruce and Mike Lees in front of the Alumni House.

Did you know that April 13 – 19 is National Student Employment Week? This annual event is dedicated to recognizing the significant impact that student employees make on campus and in the surrounding community—something that makes a big difference at GW.

Student employees are a crucial part of GW’s culture. Students work across campus in one of approximately 200 on campus departments or at our 50 off campus federal work study partner sites. Whether they’re greeting prospective students, stocking library shelves, assisting faculty, or managing events and websites, all student employees help keep GW running and act as ambassadors in the DC community.

In celebration of this annual event, get to know six all-star students who are an intergral part of GW’s Office of Alumni Relations:

Adjoa Bruce, Class of 2014
Major: Political Science
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: Somerset, NJ
Position at GW: Fostering the university’s relationship with alumni in the Office of Alumni Relations.
Best part of your job: My co-workers.
Favorite hobbies: Cooking, eating, shopping, journaling and napping.
Favorite book: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? My paternal grandpa; he passed away when I was a baby and I’ve heard some great stories.
Interesting fact: I never learned how to ride a bike (I can drive, though).
What do you love about GW? These special gummy bears I can only find in the Vern dining hall.

Alex Hire, Class of 2014
Major: International Affairs
Minor: Sociocultural Anthropology
Hometown: Raleigh, NC
Position at GW: I work on the Operations team at the Office of Alumni Relations. Specifically, we work on the management of the office as well as the Course Audit Program.
Best part of your job: My co-workers!
Favorite hobbies: Collecting vinyl records and old books, salsa dancing/listening to Latin music.
Favorite book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who whould it be? I would have dinner with Fidel Castro. I’ve always had a fascination with Cuba and I think it would be fascinating to hear what his reasoning is for the revolution and discover why he is the way he is.
Interesting fact: I have lived on both coasts of the US and I also studied abroad in Costa Rica for a semester.
What do you love about GW? I love all the opportunities it provides for students and all of the wonderful people I have met.

Mike Lees, Class of 2014
Major: Economics
Minor: Statistics
Hometown: Middleboro, MA
Position at GW: I assist with affinity groups, athletics, and class reunions in the Office of Alumni Relations.
Best part of the job: The people who work in this office are the best!
Favorite hobbies: Running, Watching Sports, Reading, Soccer, A Song of Ice and Fire.
Favorite book: A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? [Former Major League Baseball pitcher] Pedro Martínez. I’m a huge Red Sox fan and it’s Opening Day, so that’s what’s on my mind.
Interesting fact: I was born on the last day DC’s football team, the Washington Redskins, won the Super Bowl.
What do you love about GW? The diversity of people. I’ve never been in a place where I’ve met so many interesting people from different places, cultures, and backgrounds.

John Lesniak, Class of 2016
Major: Business Administration
Minor: Statistics
Hometome: West Chicago, IL
Postion at GW: I assist the Student, Young Alumni and Regional Programs team in the Office of Alumni Relations. I help the team prepare for events, as well as with tasks that allow our team to run smoothly and efficiently.
Best part of your job: Working with my team and the rest of the part-time staff members. I am fortunate to work in a fun and positive environment that lets me look forward to coming into work.
Favorite hobbies: I am a huge Cubs fan and I follow the team on a daily basis. One of these years is ours!
Favorite book: The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho.
If you could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?  [Former Major League Baseball shortstop and first baseman] Ernie Banks because he is “Mr. Cub.”
Interesting fact: I have broken my nose 6+ times.
What do you love about GW? My favorite part of GW is the unique and diverse environment surrounding our campus. We are the only school in the world that gets to live only a few blocks away from the Obamas and the National Mall, which makes us pretty unique.

Sarah Pierson, Class of 2014
Major: International Affairs
Minor: History
Hometown: Lansdale, PA
Position at GW: I try to make things easier on the School Alumni Programs team in the Office of Alumni Relations!
Best part of your job: The awesome people I work with every day.
Favorite hobbies: My friends think all I do is go to the movies and/or sporting events…and it’s entirely accurate. I also love to read, which makes it…
Favorite book: …an impossible tie between these three! Dubliners by James Joyce, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith, and Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom.
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Tom Hanks. Or Walt Disney. Or Tom Hanks as Walt Disney.
Interesting fact: I fear anything that lives underwater.
What do you love about GW? What I love most about GW is what brought me here – its location in the heart of DC. The best experiences and opportunities I’ve had in my four years here have all in some way been influenced by this can’t-be-beat location.

Morgan Seiler, Class of 2014
Major: International Affairs (European and Eurasian Studies) and German Language/Literature
Minor: Music (Performance, Violin)
Hometown: Hildesheim, Germany
Position at GW: Compiling and maintaining all background information, be it prospect information, event data, statistics on the international alumni population or travel itineraries in order to make the foreground at events and meetings work flawlessly.
Best part of your job: Being able to interact with a great number of international alumni on a regular basis and being able to use my multiple language capabilities to do so.
Favorite hobbies: Eating (no, seriously, I am a major foodie), hiking and generally being outdoors.
Favorite book: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
If you could have dinner with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Myself in fifty years, so that I could know about the mistakes I will make, how I can fix them and who the people are and the moments I will have, that I should hold onto and cherish throughout my life.
Interesting fact: I have had the privilege of already visiting almost thirty different countries (most of them at least twice!) and I look forward to expanding that number in the next couple of years.
What do you love about GW? I love the diversity that we have at GW. I was always worried about being the only international/German person at the university. I don’t have the same memories that many other people have about their years growing up (seriously, I still do not understand why anyone would eat marshmallows or what the purpose of a Furby is), but just walking down the street or being in classes with other Germans or other international students makes me feel/has made me feel more at home.

–To all student employees: Thank you for everything you do! To learn more about GW’s activities for National Student Employment Week, visit the Center for Career Services.

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