September 2008

GW Welcomes Class of 2012

BY JAMIE L. FREEDMAN

The George Washington University welcomed one of its most academically talented and diverse classes ever to campus this month, as GW officially opened its doors for the 2008/09 academic year.
The Class of 2012—comprising 2,450 students—includes a record-breaking number of minorities and more international students compared with recent years. “In 2003, we had 175 African American and Latino students in our freshman class; this year we have 360—more than double,” says Kathryn Napper, executive dean for undergraduate admissions. “The class is also much more international in scope, with 159 students hailing from 47 countries around the globe.”

Napper attributes much of the increase in diversity to the university’s targeted outreach efforts. “I’m particularly proud of our Dean’s Council for Multicultural Recruitment, which includes some 80 GW student volunteers who work hard at recruiting because they want to make a difference,” she says.

The largest numbers of international students come from South Korea (55), China (24), and Turkey (nine). Incoming freshmen also represent all states, except North Dakota and Wyoming, with the most sizable groups coming from New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, California, and Pennsylvania.

According to Napper, the Class of 2012 brings strong academic credentials to GW. “The average SAT score for enrolling students is 1935,” she says. Thirty-seven percent of the 19,500 applicants this year were admitted to the university.

“We’re particularly pleased to welcome 195 engineering students, making it one of the largest freshman engineering classes in recent history,” adds Napper.
Beyond academic excellence, the Class of 2012 is an accomplished group, marked by eclectic interests and wide-ranging talents. Fortes range from dog sled racing to underwater videography, unicycling to metaphysics. Thirty-eight percent of the class speaks a language other than English fluently. The class includes the first female Olympic swimmer from Bahrain and a student who climbed to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro.

“We’re enrolling great kids who have done amazing things—students who speak three languages, have visited all seven continents, and have conducted cutting-edge scientific research,” says Napper. “They are energetic, engaged, want to be involved, and strive to have a semblance of balance between their academics and extracurricular activities.”

A case in point is native Washingtonian Natasha Dupee, who was recently named by The Washington Post as a potential 2028 presidential candidate. A graduate of D.C.’s School Without Walls High School, Dupee interned with Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) when she was just 15 and worked on the Women Under Forty Political Action Committee last summer.

She served as student government president of her high school, as well as captain of the basketball team, and traveled to London last October as a U.S. representative in the Young People’s Debate on Slavery at the House of Commons. “I also went to South Africa last summer as a student ambassador for the U.S.-South Africa Youth Leaders Summit, where I caucused with other high school students and survivors of the apartheid era about the repercussions of slavery,” she states.

At GW, Dupee plans to major in politics and values and minor in African studies, with the dream of ultimately becoming a neonatologist working in international health policy. “Learning about the high child mortality rate in South Africa inspired me to go into medicine,” explains Dupee, who will attend GW on a full scholarship. “I want to make an impact on society.”

Another well-traveled freshman is Clara Merchant from Austin, Texas, whose father’s career takes the family overseas on a regular basis. “We lived in Singapore for two years and Switzerland for a year, and I’ve visited Tibet, Beijing, Egypt, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Vietnam,” says Merchant.

Along the way, the lifelong art enthusiast developed a strong interest in ancient Chinese pottery and porcelain. “One of my dad’s friends exports ancient Chinese jade and porcelain, and I spent one summer working in his shop in Singapore, where I learned how to tell the difference between authentic Tang dynasty porcelain paintings and forgeries.”

Closer to home, Merchant interned at the Austin Museum of Art for a summer, which led to a job directing children’s art activities on weekends. She also is an accomplished digital photographer, who sold her first piece last year.
Merchant is a graduate of St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin, where she served as founding president of the Chinese Culture and Language Club. She plans to study Chinese language and literature and art history at GW. “I’m really excited about living in Washington, D.C., and taking advantage of all the art and culture,” she says. “It’s going to be an amazing experience.”

Fawad Mirwais, too, is looking forward to his time in Foggy Bottom. Born in a small town north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Mirwais, with his family, escaped civil war and took refuge in the neighboring country of Uzbekistan when he was 5. Two years later, the family moved to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, where Mirwais and his six siblings completed their schooling. Mirwais, who served as student body president of his alma mater, Al Mawakeb School in Dubai, has never forgotten his roots. “I frequently visit my home country, and it is always heartbreaking,” he says.

A talented linguist, he speaks fluent Pashto, Farsi, Hindi, French, Arabic, and English. “Learning so many languages has opened my mind to various cultures, beliefs, and ideologies and given me a better picture of the world,” he says.
At GW, Mirwais plans to major in business management and minor in pre-medicine. “I want to be a surgeon someday and run my own hospital,” he states. He says that as an international student, he “felt welcome from day one” at the university. “I want to get involved at GW from A to Z,” he says. “I want to be part of every organization and club and truly enjoy the college experience.”

Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu