When almost 2,000 undergraduate seniors participate in Commencement on the National Mall Sunday they will leave behind their years at GW, but many will not be forgotten. The Hatchet spoke with faculty, staff and students to find 10 seniors who have made a lasting impression during their undergraduate years.
It’s not unusual for David Rosenbaum to get strange looks when he’s working out at the Lerner Health and Wellness Center, especially when he runs into his interns.
Rosenbaum, a political science major, has been a permanent staff member in the office of Senator Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) for the past four years.
“They would look at me for a second, like ‘Why is this old person here.’ Then I would have to explain that I’m a student too, but I’m on staff,” he said.
Rosenbaum recently ended his stint with Lieberman, having spent half of the time as an intern and half as the senator’s scheduling staff assistant.
In the position, Rosenbaum worked 25 hours a week while maintaining a full coarse load. He also worked full time during the summer and often traveled to Connecticut during Lieberman’s 2006 campaign.
“I tried to balance it with having a regular college life,” said Rosenbaum, who is a member of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, active in Hillel and sits on the Student Association Court. “I wanted to get the best of both worlds.”
Sustaining academics, campus involvement and his job on the Hill “has been a challenge, he said. “Everyone expects you to be 100 percent, regardless of where you are.”
Rosenbaum said the demanding schedule was worth it for the hands-on experience. “The theories you learn in the classroom are reinforced when you see them in the field,” he said.
The graduating senior said he knows he wants to go into politics, but his specific plans are not certain.
“The thing about politics is that it is so unpredictable,” he said. “Opportunities will come on Monday and you have to be ready to take them Monday afternoon. You have to be willing to take risks and go with the flow. It’s tough to make a three-year plan.”
