The word “tropaia” is ancient Greek and refers to a monument constructed to celebrate a military victory. Today, trophies awarded for excellence may draw close comparisons to the ancient structures. Each year students, faculty and some alumni are recognized for their academic excellence and outstanding achievement during the tropaia ceremonies.
Tropaia and awards ceremonies were held by
Georgetown College,
McDonough School of Business, the School of Nursing and Health Studies,
Walsh School of Foreign Service, the School of Medicine,
the Georgetown Public Policy Institute,
the Master of Science in Foreign Service (MSFS) program,
the Center for Social Justice and
the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics.
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Hundreds of students and faculty members received recognition for their academic and civic achievements this past year.
Featured speakers at several of the ceremonies acknowledged that graduating students are entering a difficult environment, especially with the world economy in a downturn. Speakers called on graduates to use their Georgetown education for good.
“Today we are struggling with a serious economic crisis and with other crises connected to it. These problems are very troubling to all of us as citizens, perhaps especially troubling to you, as you graduate and enter or renter this crazy world,” said
William Gormley, Georgetown Public Policy Institute interim dean, at the institute’s tropaia. “But these problems also remind us what motivated us to choose public policy as a vocation in the first place.”
Marking your mark on the world requires passion, Georgetown College valedictorian
Jennifer Irwin (C’09) said at that school’s tropaia, But it also takes something more, she added.
“It’s when passion is linked to compassion that we find true humanity,” Irwin said. “We Hoyas are blessed to be a part of a Jesuit liberal arts education, one that encourages students to follow their passion, as it’s closest to what you love.”
Georgetown graduates are part of a generation whose priorities and expectations are different from generations past, said
Casimir Yost, professor and concentration coordinator in the MSFS program.
“You and your generation believe that work should be about making a difference in people’s lives, and you’re in a hurry to do so,” Yost said at the MSFS awards ceremony.
