The Graduate School joins the nation in celebrating and honoring women’s history, achievements and prominent women figures during Women’s History Month. The first woman formally admitted into the Graduate School was just over eighty years ago. Since then, women at Georgetown University have achieved success in multiple fields.
We invite you to read about the different paths a few women at Georgetown took before coming here, and discover their multidimensional talents and hobbies.
Cynthia Ng is a graduate student in the Data Science & Analytics program at the Graduate School. She is originally from Hong Kong and came to Georgetown for opportunities to meet people of diverse disciplines, especially the network within policy and social sciences. Ng also fell in love with DC, where she spent a semester of her undergraduate years.
“During my undergraduate studies, I did a work-study semester in Washington, DC, and fell in love with the city’s mix of politics, arts, culture and its public transit system, all of which allowed me to explore and meet people outside of the circles I found myself in.”
Siobhan Cooney is a part-time student in the Communication, Culture & Technology program. She is originally from Florida, and her journey to Georgetown began in 2022 when she started working at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs as a communications associate.
“The opportunity came just at the right place and the right time! It offered the perfect marriage of my undergraduate experiences within such a vibrant metropolitan location.”
Theresa Torres (C’88) graduated from Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences in 1988 and earned a bachelor’s degree in American government with a minor in psychology and minor equivalent in fine arts. She is currently the graduate program director for the Office of Student Financial Services. Of the start of her career at Georgetown, she has this to say:
“I knew Georgetown from a student perspective and was then embarking on understanding it from an administrative one. This new job enabled me to give back to Georgetown through assisting the university’s efforts to help students secure affordable financial aid and study at Georgetown.”
Ng graduated from Brown University with a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and is currently pursuing her master’s full-time. Throughout her career, Ng had experiences working in non-profit organizations, government offices and startups. She also interned at OmniFood, the U.S. House of Representatives, Acumen LLC and many more.
Cooney has a multifaceted career within the field of communications. Before coming to the Berkley Center, she held positions that helped her gain industry knowledge and become a communications professional. Cooney was a public relations and marketing representative for an international travel agency and a copywriter for an Amazon consulting firm. In addition to her role at the Berkley Center, she is a freelance writer and editor, and a senior staff writer for the Irish Dance Globe.
Torres started working in the Office of Student Financial Service (OSFS) when she was a student at Georgetown. After she graduated, she assumed the role of counselor and has been with the OSFS ever since. Her career progressed from counselor to loan coordinator and assistant director, and now she is the graduate program director at the OSFS. Both OSFS and Georgetown are like family to her. Torres loves working at Georgetown and helps students to secure the financial aid they need to attend Georgetown University.
Outside the classroom, Ng is a traveler, amateur photographer and writer. Her personal blog, bored backpack, is where she expresses her thoughts and observations while traveling to places like Denver, Paris and Venice. She also captures and showcases the beauty of all her destinations through her collection of photographs.
Ng is a vocal advocate for women. She believes that women should be included in important discussions, especially ones that affect them. “Men need to play a role in recognizing the barriers that women face in academia and in their professions,” she said. “This month is a reminder for us to take the time to understand nuances, share our views and involve each other to create a more just world.”
Outside of her communications career, Cooney is a professional Irish dancer. Coming from an Irish background, Irish dancing is a way for Cooney to connect to her cultural heritage. Through this path, she became an Open Championship competitor, the highest level of dancing an artist can achieve, a proud performer, and a candidate to become a certified Irish dance instructor.
“What I love about Irish dance is that it’s an incredible combination of culture, artistry and athleticism.”
– Siobhan Cooney
In addition to Torres’ work in financial services, she enjoys traveling, history, arts and ancient archeology. She also serves on the Advisory Council for Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens in Northwest, DC.
As an art lover, Torres has a keen interest in Russian iconography, which stems from her undergraduate courses in fine arts. “One day, I hope to add inventor to my list of achievements,” she said.
While women have been at Georgetown University for over 140 years, they have only been formally completing advanced studies in the Graduate School since 1943.
Explore some recent stories highlighting other women Hoyas doing great things at Georgetown:
From women who served in World War II, to international students who received their doctorate degrees and pioneered scientific discoveries, we celebrate and honor women’s achievements throughout the decades.
Hoya Saxa!
