Renee Barton (G’17) Reflects on Black History Month
The Graduate School joins the nation in celebrating and honoring Black history, culture and achievements during Black History Month. We invite you to read the story of Renee Barton, a 2017 graduate of the Master of Professional Studies in Human Resources Management program at the School of Continuing Studies.
Barton is now the director of recruitment and partnerships in Biomedical Graduate Education at Georgetown.
What brought you to Georgetown?
I started my career at Georgetown University in the fall of 2011 after I graduated from college and moved to the DC area. I chose to pursue a career in enrollment management because it blended my interests in marketing with my ambition to be a servant leader. Working and completing my master’s degree at Georgetown has allowed me to grow my professional and interpersonal skill sets while having a direct impact on students’ journeys as they learn about and matriculate into our graduate biomedical science programs.
What makes you most proud to be a member of the Black community?
What makes me the most proud to be black is our collective resiliency. The stories and narratives of my family members, some of whom I have only discovered recently via genealogy, motivate me to continue in my purpose and build off their legacies and strength.
Within your community, what’s a core value that’s important to you?
Amongst the community that I have built for myself since moving to DC, the one core value that has been the most important to me is enthusiastic support. Whether big or small and regardless of how busy we individually may be, I can say that my community has always enthusiastically supported me in whatever I was doing in my life and I have been proud to show up for them in the same way.
How can people show solidarity during this month and beyond?
People can continue to show solidarity during this month and beyond by being willing to learn, especially now when empathy and learning seem to be under attack.
What’s your favorite quote that celebrates Black history and culture?
“Just like moons and like suns,
With the certainty of tides,
Just like hopes springing high,
Still I’ll rise.”
From “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou
