Your Impact
Thank You
Together We Make Transformation Possible
We Support the Next Global Leaders
"Eleven-year-old Prashamsha living in Nepal would never believe where I am now, and all I can say is thank you for believing in me!"
Prashamsha Rayamajhi
Life in Danvers, Massachusetts was a long way from Machhapuchhre mountain in Nepal. In 2012 Prashamsha Rayamajhi, BA ’22 immigrated to the U.S. with her family and saw stark differences -- from advanced technology to clean water. Prashamsha decided to study policy and “understand how wealth and resources are distributed globally and how policy and politics affect that.”
GW’s Elliott School was out of reach financially without the Shelby Cullom Davis Foundation Scholarship. Prashamsha said, “I don’t have all the words to justify my feelings of gratitude, only have an endless series of moments: the look on my parents’ faces when I tell them I did well in a class; the happy exhaustion after a long night with my friends discussing our desire to change the world; and moments of tranquility walking to the Lincoln Memorial after a long day of classes.”
With a degree in international affairs with concentrations in conflict resolution and the Middle East, Prashamsha plans to attend law school and study labor law.
We Pay Generosity Forward
"My first paycheck, I got $20 out of that check, and I wrote a check to GW. And over time those gifts have grown… If I can change one person's life the way GW changed my life—boy, that will make you think about your purpose. That will be a huge part of what my purpose is."
Cynthia Patton, JD ’86, received her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College, and was admitted to the State Bar of California, State Bar of Georgia, and the District of Columbia Bar. Patton joined Verily in 2020 as General Counsel and previously served as senior vice president and chief compliance officer at Amgen, where she was responsible for Amgen’s global privacy and compliance organization.
Patton feels strongly about giving back as she was the recipient of a scholarship that allowed her to stay enrolled in GW’s School of Law. “The scholarship I received meant that instead of having to work and probably never going back to school, I was able to go to law school” Patton explained.
"The inspiration for my giving is the gratitude I have for the people who gave, who made it possible for me to attend GW. They saw the value in a GW education."
David Cohen, BBA ’91, received his bachelor’s degree from the George Washington University School of Business and earned his J.D. from the Emory University School of Law in 1994. Currently, Cohen is a senior consulting partner in the litigation and arbitration group for Milbank, an international law firm. A partner since 2002, Cohen and has broad litigation practice with emphasis on bankruptcy, derivatives, transportation, insurance, and tort litigation.
During his time at GW, Cohen was fortunate to be the recipient of scholarships that allowed him to stay enrolled and experience many “only at GW” moments. He was so positively impacted by the donors who supported his experience, that he established the David S. Cohen Scholarship in Business in 2007 offering financial aid to undergraduate students just like him.
We Honor Lifelong Belonging
We build a sense of belonging in many ways on a university campus, but perhaps no experience bonds GW undergraduates more than life in Thurston Hall, home to first-year students for decades. This August students will move into a newly-renovated Thurston, set to house one-third of all first-year students in a beautiful space focused on well-being and community.
Many of you helped make this nine-story transformation happen, including a group of alumni who came together to honor their late friend, Leon Rosenman, BBA ’81.
In the late 1970s Leon Rosenman lived in a suite in Thurston, and like many, forged lifelong friendships there. Leon was witty, kind, energetic, and gathered others for late night adventures, basketball games and music. After graduation Leon remained the glue that kept GW friends close.
Then, on October 5, 2021, Leon died from natural causes at his home in DC. He was 63, and left behind a wife, three children and too many friends to count.
His GW circle was devastated. They decided to honor Leon by naming a space in Thurston in his honor — a place where he helped create an enduring community.
So far about 40 alumni have raised more than $200,000, and Thurston’s 7th-floor courtyard terrace will be named in honor of Leon Rosenman. His friends say it is the perfect tribute to help students gather and forge friendships in Leon’s memory.
The success of the group’s fundraising means they are considering other ways to ensure Leon’s legacy at GW including scholarships and programming to support the transition to college.
Leon’s spirit of generosity lives on. What a gift community can be.
We Know that Every Gift Counts
April 6 marked GW’s second annual Giving Day, a special opportunity to show the strength of belonging. Every gift from every donor unites to make an enormous impact in the lives of our students.
The funds support student scholarships, university initiatives, and schools and units across the university. Together you helped eight GW schools and units exceed Giving Day goals!
>60%
You surpassed our
$1 million goal by more
than 60%
2,485
Members of our community raised
$1,607,819
50+
GW community
members made
matching gifts
$350k
Our lead matching gift of $350,000 from GW Trustee, Ave Tucker, B.B.A. ’77, met its goal by 1 p.m.!
Thank You
Thank you for your gift to GW. Because of you, GW continues to change the world each and every day. Raise High! To learn more about the impact of your giving, please visit our website or email us as [email protected].