Just began a wonderful conversation with a new friend, and it made me pause and think about WHO I am as a person, and HOW I want others to know & view me.

[Thanks Dorothy for giving me reason to pause and reflect!]

Admittedly, very few of my friends outside of high school and college know about my academic pursuits & professional background.  I've met most of my recent friends through adventures in music & dance, and these things are rarely discussed in the "get-to-know-each-other" conversations in these settings.  I mean, imagine a conversation like this:

So who am I?
I graduated from GWU with a major in International Affairs with a double concentration in Asian Studies and Cross-Disciplinary Film & Media, and a double minor in Chinese Language & Literature and SocioCultural Anthropology.  I am a huge nerd, and was in the Women's Leadership Program and the University Honors Program.  I graduated a semester early with cum laude honors.  

On campus, I was heavily involved with student government, the intercollegiate Model United Nations team, and residence hall life (as a RA and Dean's Intern).  I worked on Capitol Hill, was a part of a Panhellenic social sorority, and was a founding member of a professional sorority developed for women interested in joining the U.S. Dept. of State's Foreign Service.  In my final year on campus, I was a member of GWU's award-winning orientation team and served as a senior interviewer for the admissions office.

After college I moved to New York City to work in the legal industry as a paralegal for White & Case LLP.  At W&C, I juggled 16 cases, focusing primarily on antitrust, intellectual property, and commercial litigation.  Although I was in the litigation department, I helped with several M&A cases and oversaw many Hart-Scott-Rodino filings.

My passion for music and dancing is obvious, but I hope to be known and remembered for so much more. 

I don't ever want to be given the label of "party girl."  That's not WHO or WHAT I am.

I love conversing about politics & diplomacy.  I was hit by a drunk driver.  I serve on the Boards of 3 non-profit organizations.  I started my own non-profit project.  I speak fluent Mandarin Chinese.  I think penguins are adorable.  Most of my friends know me as Angie.  I tend to sign off as Ange for emails.  I love to travel.  I'm a bit of a shutterbug.  I used to play CounterStrike for hours on end.  I still own all three gaming systems.  I was named after Los Angeles, California.

New friends, I'm glad to have met you.  Let's get to know each other outside of the events and the parties.  Let's get to know each other for who the person inside is, what we're about, what we represent, and what we hope to achieve.

I can't wait to get to know each of you better.