Danielle Schultz Has Never Been Happier at GWU

Danielle Schultz has a new love in her life. The Huntington High School Class of 2013 member is head over heels about George Washington University, where she is a freshman studying biology and hoping to enter the School of Public Health and Health Services as a junior.

“I am absolutely in love with DC and my school,” Ms. Schultz said about Washington, DC and GWU. “Everything about living in the Capital is amazing.”

Ms. Schultz attended kindergarten at Washington Primary School before spending the next eight years at the Long Island School for the Gifted. She returned to Huntington as a high school freshman and has enjoyed an exceptional four year run, including Advanced Placement classes, a variety of clubs and international travel experiences.

The Huntington alum is taking five classes this fall, including Introduction to Biology, Principles of Macroeconomics, Introduction to Sociology, Introduction to Statistics in the Social Sciences and University Writing.

“I am in awe of the knowledge of my professors,” Ms. Schultz said. “Not only are they intelligent and talented, but they are very down to earth and approachable, which is very important when you’re in a large introductory class.”

The teenager has been getting involved in various activities on the GWU campus. “I have joined Amnesty International, a club focusing on improving human rights for everyone around the globe,” Ms. Schultz said. “This year some of our main concerns are freedom of expression in Russia, violence against women and child soldiers. I have also joined College Democrats, the Feminist Student Union, and Eyes on DC, which is our ‘people watching’ club. In a few weeks I will begin working with GW’s Relay For Life planning committee, just like I did in Huntington High School. Relay was a big part of my high school career and I cannot wait to continue with it here in DC.”

During the early weeks of the semester, Ms. Schultz has been getting acclimated to GWU, its campus, academic and student activities programs and the surrounding environs. “I have already established great relationships with my fellow classmates here,” she said. “The students here at GW are very outgoing and passionate about life. I have become very close with my roommates and floormates and have met many interesting people through friends and in my classes. GW is truly a school like no other. I have never been happier in my life.”

An 1821 Act of Congress created George Washington University, “fulfilling [President] George Washington’s vision of an institution in the nation’s capital dedicated to educating and preparing future leaders,” according to the university’s website. The school currently enrolls more than 20,000 students representing all 50 states and the federal city as well as more than 130 countries. GWU features three campuses: Foggy Bottom and Mount Vernon in Washington, DC and the Virginia Science and Technology Campus in Ashburn, Virginia, in addition to various graduate education locations in the metropolitan area and Hampton Roads, VA.

“My friends and I have decided that we cannot stay in the ‘Foggy Bottom bubble’ and exploration is necessary,” Ms. Schultz said about her intention of heading off campus. “We have already visited numerous parts of DC, including Adams Morgan, DuPont Circle, Georgetown, Kalorama and Stanton Park. Living in the nation’s capital, I have access to the Library of Congress, countless museums and, of course, the monuments. Late night monument walks have become a habit for some of my friends and me, but it is one I know we will not tire of.”