A native of Katy, Texas, Sebastian Gualy is a sophomore at Southwestern, double majoring in biology and business. He is also a student athlete on the varsity lacrosse team. But he still wants to do something more for Southwestern and the Georgetown community.

Becoming the head resident assistant (RA) for the Global Engagement Residence Hall gave him this opportunity. The newly designated hall is a living-learning community for sophomores, located in the Charline Hamblin McCombs Residential Center. It is comprised of a group of students who care about the community and, like Gualy, about making a difference. The students who live in the hall are divided into five different cohorts, each advocating a different issue: animal rights, global health, education, poverty, and race and the feminist movement.

Throughout the year, each cohort is dedicated a month in which the students are offered information on these different types of issues and the opportunity to do something about them within the community.

This is the first year Southwestern has this type of community on campus. “It is a year of reflection; a year of learning, and seeing what works and does not work,” Gualy says.

The goal of the Global Engagement Hall is simply to learn how to build a community and to make a difference together. “It’s not about being just a student, it’s much more than that,” Gualy says.

Meili Criezis is a sophomore, actively participating in the Global Engagement Hall as part of the cohort focusing on race and ethnicity. The group has had informal meetings to discuss articles surrounding controversial issues such as poverty on a national and global scale. They have also volunteered at The Caring Place and hope to organize more interactive activities in the Georgetown community.

“I am really enjoying the experience,” says Criezis. “I think it’s healthy to engage in discussions surrounding these controversial topics; topics that people are often too afraid to talk about. The Global Engagement Hall is breaking down barriers and making progress, and I am very glad to be part of this new experience.” 

 

by Daniella A. Barrera, class of 2016