Brian Poirier

MSB ’17
Age: 19
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Major: Finance

What do you hope Georgetown will help you accomplish?
I really hope that, while here, I can get the skills that I will use in my career from the business school, but first and foremost, though, it’s fostering relationships, developing socially and also growing as a person of faith, but really just enjoying myself along with a really good education. 

What are some parts of the experience here that you would point to as contributing to those things?
Being on the sailing team, I really like that the upperclassmen reach out to the underclassmen. That’s probably the biggest part of my life here, so that’s the way I see the Georgetown experience. 

How do you go about being an athlete with everything else here?
It’s good because your friends on the team are all of the people you’re hanging out with. You’re definitely restricted on time with studying, workouts and practices, but you find a way to manage it, and since you’re with a really core group of kids that are struggling and helping each other – both of those – in the same ways, you feel good because you’re a part of something. So you have to prioritize, but at the same time enjoy it because you’re working toward something.

What has been your favorite class here so far?
I had a first-year seminar in the business school with professor [Charles] Skuba, and it was a small class, and the guy was pretty awesome. He’s great because he is really passionate about his subject and his students, so not only was he really interested in and well-versed in the subject, but also really passionate in helping us succeed.

If you could lead a protest on any one thing, what would it be?
The food at Leo’s.

Have you ever consciously changed anything about your personality?
I don’t believe so, no. I don’t think I’ve ever been surrounded by a group of people where I felt like I needed to, be it my friends in high school or especially at Georgetown. I haven’t felt the need to do that at all, which has been awesome. It’s great that I can just be myself.

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned at Georgetown?
I think it’s really important to take time to realize how fortunate I am and to realize what a special place I am at, how awesome my classes are, how awesome my friends and the team have been. I’ve learned to always take time, maybe a minute out of the day, to really appreciate, pause and reflect on how this is really cool and fortunate that I’m here. I’ve been doing that more the second semester, which is cool, so that’s the most important thing, because it’s a fulfilling experience. 

What’s the best thing about Georgetown?
It’s the sailing team. I’ve got to say that. 

And what could Georgetown do better?
That’s a tricky one. I think we could recognize even more how special a resource the Jesuits are here. I was talking to one the other day, who spoke in the athletes’ class called “Hoyas Lead,” and he was the coolest guy I’ve ever met in my life. I think we could realize how cool and special that resource is.  

Interview by Ben Germano