Since arriving on campus in 2004, Georgetown University has profoundly shaped my life path: I find myself married to my college sweetheart, a father of three and building a life centered on my passions. While you only have four years in college, the lessons you learn on the Hilltop are ones you can carry with you well after graduation. These are the three enduring pieces of advice from fellow Hoyas — friends, mentors and professors — that have helped me the most. I encourage Hoyas to try and glean something from these words and apply them to their own lives.

One of my former classmates, Rod, once told me the sword of victory has been hammered in the flame 1,000 times. Shortly after graduation, Rod, our classmate Hammad and I moved into a refugee camp in the West Bank to start Inspire Dreams, an organization serving refugee youth. After a local shooting led to the cancellation of our first day of summer camp, we considered walking away from the cause. Instead of leaving, we stayed, adapted and went on to run successful camps for several summers. Some of our students obtained admission to prestigious universities including an Ivy League school — something we would not have seen if we just left the community. Rod’s belief that overcoming obstacles not only guided me in this experience but in subsequent stages of my life. When current students face a professional, academic or personal challenge, the first instinct should not be to quit — you may be forgoing a special learning opportunity.

Through the Patrick Healy Fellowship program, I received mentorship from a Georgetown School of Foreign Service (SFS) graduate named Caleb, who told me to invest in my friendships. You can’t always control your boss’ whims or whether you’ll have the chance to say goodbye to a loved one, but you do get to choose your friends and how deeply you commit to those relationships. 

I took Caleb’s word to heart. During my senior year at Georgetown in early 2008, four of my classmates and I skipped class and drove to Bamberg, S.C., to volunteer on the Obama campaign during the South Carolina primaries. Together we knocked on doors, spoke to residents, met civil rights leaders, ate an inordinate amount of fast food, outran neighborhood dogs and shared our post-graduation hopes and dreams. On Saturday night, we watched then-Senator Obama give his victory speech in Columbia and returned back to the Hilltop with an unbreakable bond. 

Those friendships have grown over the years, from guidance on graduate school and career moves, perspective on marriage and parenthood, and counsel on family dynamics. Five Hoyas served as groomsmen at my wedding. My friend Greg has been my go-to source for parenting advice from developing sleep patterns, officiating play dates, coaching youth sports and mediating sibling rivalries. Hoyas, take the chance on friendships on the Hilltop. Talk to everyone, join new clubs and yes — sometimes skip class together. Let the opportunities at Georgetown, even if they may seem purely professional, be a way to find these lifelong friends. It might be one of the most rewarding decisions you will have ever made.

Finally, professor Dan Porterfield (CAS ’83) offered a third lesson: When your go-for-it moment comes, go for it. Everyone’s circumstances differ, but when your interests, talents and passions align, you have to lean into that momentum. It won’t always work. In my case, it has meant missing out on job opportunities, periods of unemployment and even working for a venture that ultimately failed. 

Joining the Obama campaign in 2007 and starting Inspire Dreams in 2008 were two of my go-for-it moments. It meant missing out on recruiting cycles and lucrative jobs that my classmates obtained. Those moments gave me courage later in life when I needed it — including serving as a firefighter and managing a small business during the COVID-19 pandemic. It might not always feel comfortable to take the leap, especially when it comes with substantial risks, but you never know where it will take you until you try. 

I encourage Hoyas to listen to the wisdom from their friends, invest in those relationships and seek out mentorship from professors and alumni. To find your own version of Rod, Caleb and Dan, be intentional with your time and think about what lessons you can carry after your time on the Hilltop ends.

Indra Sen is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service.