Meet the ‘Double Hoyas’ Who Call Georgetown Their Alma Mater Twice Over

Deciding where to go to grad school is difficult, but it helps to have an inside perspective.

For the “double Hoyas” pursuing a master’s degree at Georgetown after completing their undergraduate studies there, familiarity is just one factor in their decisions to continue studying at their alma mater.

Some students cite the recent alumni tuition scholarship as a motivator. For others, the opportunity to continue receiving mentorship from an expert in their field was the key consideration.

“For me, the master’s program was a really useful vehicle to continue to delve into something that I knew I wanted to take forward for the rest of my career,” said Security Studies student Umar Ahmed Badami (SFS’25, G’27). “Georgetown is a school that really allows you to laser-focus — we have people studying everything. We have professors from the upper echelons of almost every discipline. If you know what you want to study, do a master’s and go deeper into it.”

Hear why three students renewed their commitment to Georgetown for their master’s degrees.

New Campus, New Opportunities

When applying to college, Nicholas Riccio (SFS’25, G’27) chose universities with strong politics programs and a tight-knit community with “big-time sports” teams. Georgetown checked those boxes in a city setting for the New York City native.

Riccio majored in international politics in the School of Foreign Service and minored in classics. He got involved with Georgetown Athletics through a student job as a graphic designer and explored Western Europe through a “life-changing” study abroad program in Strasbourg, France, in fall 2023.

As Riccio approached graduation, he didn’t feel ready to close the academic chapter of his life, he said. He was admitted to a few law schools outside DC and the Master of Public Policy program at the McCourt School of Public Policy. 

His decision came down to finances and familiarity.

“I had heard about the 10% discount [for recent alumni], and that, paired with some extra merit aid, made McCourt the most attractive offer,” Riccio said. “And it was a perfect scenario, because it kept me in DC, which is where I wanted to be. It didn’t close the door on any other opportunities.”

Continuing to study at Georgetown let Riccio maintain his connections with his college friends, professors and growing career network, he said. McCourt’s location on Georgetown’s Capitol Campus gave him the chance to explore a new side of his academic home.

“The McCourt School is everything I could have asked for, from an education standpoint,” Riccio said. “But I think the biggest thing for me, at least from a social aspect, is that I’m living at the Capitol Campus and DC feels a lot more accessible. I’ve done more exploration of the city than I ever have before. I’ve met more people that are non-Georgetown people than I ever have before.”

Riccio’s Georgetown network helped connect him to work and leadership opportunities, including an internship with the housing advocacy organization Mi Casa and a role on the GU Politics Capitol Campus Leadership Team.

Riccio hopes to add another Georgetown credential to his blue-and-gray resume in the next few years: A JD from Georgetown Law.

“I’m interested in being a Triple Hoya,” Riccio said.

Deepening Existing Connections

In elementary school, Olivia Cooley (C’23, G’27) set her heart on attending Georgetown after she saw Raven-Symoné’s character tour the university in the Disney movie “College Road Trip.” 

Falling in love with DC during an eighth-grade field trip sealed the deal, and Cooley’s life has been tied to Georgetown since. 

The year that she graduated with her bachelor’s in sociology, Cooley’s father was named the head coach of Georgetown’s men’s basketball team. Olivia Cooley joined the university’s Advancement staff in 2024 as a development associate for family philanthropy, and in 2025 she started her master’s degree in Engaged and Public Humanities (ENPH) part-time through Georgetown’s employee Tuition Assistance Program (TAP).

“When I first graduated, I was like, ‘I never want to go back to school,’” said Cooley, from Providence, Rhode Island. “But I was looking at different programs to use my TAP benefits and ENPH stuck out to me, because the description mentioned ways to make positive social change.”

In undergrad, sociology captivated Cooley because she likes exploring how social dynamics influence interpersonal relationships and interactions. She saw the ENPH program as a pathway to tie her undergraduate studies directly to her work in philanthropy and continue her professional development.

“Coming back to school was an adjustment, and it felt very strange at first,” Cooley said. “But then making friends with students, telling people about Georgetown and helping others fall in love with the school as well has been really great.”

Cooley has adopted an unofficial role as a university ambassador. She points classmates toward relevant resources. She catches up with professors or administrators she knows from undergrad when she runs into them around campus. Sometimes she’ll stop by The Hilltoss and reminisce about her time working with The Corp.

She said her dual perspective within Georgetown, as a staff member and now student times two, gives her a renewed appreciation for the work that goes into university operations and the care Hoya community members express for each other.

“It’s nice to have those support networks around campus and see familiar faces,” Cooley said. “And it’s not just student engagement. You get to know better all the different people who’ve seen you studying or being part of a program, club or other organization around Georgetown as an undergrad. It’s always nice to keep those little connections.”

Motivated by Mentorship

In his free time as an undergraduate, Ahmed Badami could often be found tucked away in Lauinger Library’s Maker Hub or perched in Heyden Observatory.

The Security Studies (SSP) master’s candidate from Hillsborough Township, New Jersey, found creative outlets for his teaching passion as a woodworking and laser cutting volunteer at the makerspace and as a board member overseeing special projects for the Georgetown University Astronomical Society.

“I’ve always loved teaching,” said Ahmed Badami, who holds a bachelor’s in international politics with a minor in physics. “My goal, actually, is to be a professor.”

In college, Ahmed Badami absorbed lessons in international security and diplomacy in the Middle East. He took master’s-level classes in preparation for graduate school and still managed to graduate a year early.

“That really helped me to understand the grad school life shift, because I always wanted to go for a graduate and then doctoral education,” he said.

Grad school was the plan, but Ahmed Badami was undecided on the field and destination. During a series of internships at the nonprofit Irregular Warfare Initiative, he noticed a pattern: many of his colleagues’ offices were decorated with Georgetown memorabilia.

“All of my colleagues were like, ‘You love the diplomacy side. You love the security and military operations aspect. SSP is like the only choice for you,’” Ahmed Badami said. “It was their advice, plus knowing some now-graduated students in the program and talking to Professor Heidi Urben, that convinced me to apply.”

Ahmed Badami said his master’s program has deepened his knowledge of international relations, security and diplomacy and helped him determine a specialization. He now focuses on irregular warfare, or power and influence campaigns outside of armed conflict, in the Middle East.

By continuing his studies at Georgetown, Ahmed Badami has grown closer with his mentor, Center for Jewish Civilization Senior Fellow ElSayed Ghannam.

“His advice and mentorship has been absolutely wonderful, and I don’t think I would be making the decisions and taking the course that I am today without his guidance,” Ahmed Badami said.

Ahmed Badami has also enjoyed continued student access to the Maker Hub for de-stressing craft sessions. And if his master’s classmates ask nicely, he points them toward the top-secret campus study spots he knows from experience.