Recapping the Grad Student BBQ & Organization Fair

By Siddharth Bharani-Dharan

The first week of the Georgetown University Graduate Student Welcome Week concluded with a BBQ and organization fair. With nearly 2,000 students in attendance, the fair gave them the opportunity to connect with familiar faces as well as some brand new ones. The goal was simple: to help Grad Hoyas explore the many academic, social, cultural, and professional organizations of interest to them. When they left Leavey Center on Friday evening, they made some new connections and had a clear next step in their journey, to sign up for a group that interests them or to start one of their own.

For Jiyuan Li (MS in Mathematics and Statistics C’26), it was a great opportunity for him to explore some of his interests and meet a diverse group of people. “A lot of good food and connections I made with other students coming from different programs and backgrounds,” said Li. As an international student, the event gave him a way to meet peers, discover shared interests, and even follow his passion for hiking. “I want to learn more about the hiking group, it is something I am interested in,” said Li. 

There were a variety of different graduate student organizations set up around the ballroom and in the hallway. Several different categories including:

• Arts & Entertainment (creativity and cultural groups)
• Advocacy & Social Responsibility (policy, civic engagement, and social justice initiatives)
• Sustainability & Environment (climate action and green initiatives)
• Professional & Academic Development (career, networking, and research groups)
• Community & Wellness (faith-based, identity-based, sports, and wellness groups)

For students who want more information, explore and sign up for different organizations here: Student organization list

Want to start your own initiative? Contact gradgov@georgetown.edu to get the process started