Back in 2013, I enrolled in and successfully completed a Professional Certificate in Budget and Finance at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies. I was living and working nearby in Falls Church, Virginia; and I dreamt of transitioning from a classroom job to a managerial position. A professional qualification from that most prestigious of institutions across the Potomac, I thought, would help make this dream come true.
And so it did.
After attending classes on evenings and weekends, juggling full-time teaching with part-time study, I got a position in DC education reform and eventually a post in Oxford that would define my career for the next 13 years: a kind of jack-of-all-trades role on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme. Undoubtedly, the Georgetown certificate signalled competence, opened doors, and increased my confidence in industry sectors that were brand new to me.
Thirteen years later, I realised that I had never formally requested my diploma. But a recent trip to Georgetown, including a Sunday brunch at The Tombs, inspired me. And so, I’m proud to say that I have officially completed my certificate. Diploma finally in hand!
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