Finding a job in the real world can be rather intimidating for many college students.
For Noelia Gomez, working in the fast-paced international banking industry might not compare to playing in the low post, but it’s a challenge in its own right.
Gomez, the Colonial women’s only all-American this season, will not declare herself eligible in the upcoming WNBA draft, opting instead to take a position at the InterAmerican Development Bank. The private bank, located at 1300 New York Ave., invests in developing nations’ economies.
“I had a great experience playing basketball at GW, but I want to start a new life,” said Gomez, who completed her undergraduate degree in economics last May.
Gomez said she’s working with Venezuela and she enjoys working with Latin American nations in general. The native of Madrid, Spain, said Spanish has been an asset in international business.
“I thought about it a lot, and I decided I want a new challenge,” Gomez said.
In her distinguished basketball career at GW, the 6-3 forward was the fastest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The Colonial women amassed a 67-25 overall record and a 40-8 mark in the Atlantic 10 during Gomez’s tenure. She carried GW to a 19-9 record her senior season, leading the squad in scoring and rebounding. But an injury-riddled GW team didn’t receive an invitation to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in Gomez’s career.
In her junior year, Gomez took honorable mention all-American honors and was a member of the A-10 All-Conference team. She averaged 17.2 points and six rebounds per game as the Colonial women advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
As a sophomore, Gomez was named A-10 Rookie of the Year, averaging 17.5 points and seven rebounds per game. Gomez led the Colonial women in scoring and rebounding in the NCAA Tournament and, with all-American center Tajama Abraham leading the way, GW advanced to the “Elite Eight.”
As for the future, Gomez doesn’t rule out a return to basketball someday. But for the moment, she said she anticipates the opportunities of her new position.
“I would like to start traveling; that’s something I can do with this job,” Gomez said.
