Andrea Curtin

COL ’14
Age: 21
Hometown: Detroit, Mich.
Major: Biology

Do you feel obliged to be busy at Georgetown?
I definitely did in junior year. Once things calmed down academically I wanted to throw myself into as much as I could as far as extracurriculars go. But then I took a step back and realized that I was really passionate about doing a few things and stuck with those. Now, I still have a lot to do, but I have more time and that’s more rewarding than pushing myself to the breaking point.

Why did you want to be an RA?
Initially what drew me in was just the chance to be a peer mentor. In my group of friends I’m usually the mom — I make sure that everybody gets home safe and I take that nurturing role very naturally — so why not get paid for it? It turned out to be such a rewarding experience. I’ve learned a lot about how people characterize themselves and how different ways of describing yourself, between sexual orientation and religion and gender identity that I wouldn’t have had a language to use before, I’m much more comfortable going into a professional setting talking about these things. My floor is made up of a diverse group of people who have taught me so much given their different upbringings. That interaction with a lot of different people kept me coming back.

What do you find most frustrating about Georgetown?
The idea that we always have to be professional, successful and we have to go one step more. It goes back to that being busy thing: People don’t know how to step back and look at all their accomplishments and be proud of themselves. That’s something that I’ve been struggling with. The Georgetown community doesn’t help with that reflection. We see it with Jesuit ideals — contemplation in action. They want us to take a step back but it’s very hard in a pre-professional community not to always have your eyes on your ball.

Can you comment on the party culture at Georgetown?
Don’t get me wrong; I like to have fun. It’s interesting because I think the party culture has evolved since I’ve been here. When I was a freshman we could go to any house party. As long as there were more guys, then girls could go anywhere. Now I find parties are much more tied to clubs. I didn’t come to Georgetown to party – I came to study – so it’s not negatively impacting my experience. And the bar scene is really fun in D.C. In freshman year you hang out with everyone and then you tighten your friend group so the party scene gets different. And bars are so much better than house parties anyway. I like Chinatown in particular.

What do you like most about Georgetown?
Georgetown is so incredibly diverse — so much more than I ever expected. I have met so many people just from being an RA, but in my immediate friend group too, the personalities are so different from me. I’m a Catholic, I go to church every Sunday and do everything Catholic. But two of my best friends are atheist, and one is Hindu. Then me and another friend are conservative and everyone else is liberal. There are so many ideas fluctuating in our friendships and it’s a really enriching experience. I really like the Jesuit aspect here. It’s not overbearingly Catholic, but the challenge is to become better people. It’s nice that Georgetown recognizes that there is more to college than stuffing information into our heads and that we should evolve into better people.

Do you feel you fit in at Georgetown?
I fit in with my group of friends, but outside of that, no. It’s been a challenging process because in the beginning I wasn’t comfortable with myself and I wanted so desperately to fit in. As I’ve become more comfortable with who I am and who I want to be, I realized I never want to be that stereotypical Georgetown person. I’m a little rough around the edges, and I’m OK with that.

Where are you from? Compare and contrast it to Georgetown. Where are you more comfortable?
I’m from a suburb outside Detroit, Mich. The biggest difference is just the attitude of people. In the Midwest we are so laid back, very sarcastic, slower-paced. Everything is so rushed here and there’s a noticeable me-first attitude. I don’t want to say selfish, because everyone is ambitious and wants to achieve their goals, and you can’t fault people for that. But back home, people are way more community-oriented than on the East Coast. Also, labels were never a thing where I grew up. I went to a Catholic school with a uniform every day, and the closest thing we got to labels was Skechers or off-brand shoes. To come here with Coach bags and girls wearing Jimmy Choo shoes and $300 riding boots — wow. I was like, “Oh my god, I am not in Kansas anymore!”

Which television character do you see the most of yourself in and why?
I would say Katniss Everdeen. I’m not trying to picture myself as a heroine or badass chick or whatever, but the way she volunteered for her sister is definitely something I would do. I’m protective of my family and my friends, so that nature of Katniss I identify with. And I mean, who doesn’t wish they were Jennifer Lawrence?

What would you change about yourself? What’s the biggest change you’ve consciously made in your life and why?
The biggest change that I’ve noticed from beginning of experience at Georgetown to now is my ability to be independent. The nice thing about the Midwest is we’re very community oriented but you don’t have much of a chance to be independent. I’d never had to do anything on my own before coming here. Then stick me in Washington, D.C., where I don’t know anybody and I have to do everything on my own. Making that transition was difficult but it’s so rewarding to know that I can be a successful adult. I can grocery shop, do my own laundry, stay on top of my homework and manage a floor of 30 kids. I was in a long-term relationship and broke up just before college, so knowing that I don’t need a significant other was also part of that enlightenment.

If you could lead a protest on one thing, what would it be?
There are so many issues! That’s one of the things about Georgetown – it opens your eyes to so many issues both international and domestic. But I’m going to pick something domestic. We need to try to equalize labor between genders and make the workforce more suitable for women. The wage gap is a specific issue. I’m so amazed because in everyday society we look at men and women as equals and when it comes down to making money we’re not equal? That doesn’t make sense to me. And there are other workplace issues too.

Interview by Braden McDonald