What We're Thankful For
Today, extended families all across our great nation will travel long distances to sit down at their dinner tables and enjoy a bountiful meal with one another. Many will reflect on the past year, recognizing the things that have taken place in their lives for which they are grateful. Since so many of us are thankful for the CRs family that we have found on campus, we decided to ask the GW College Republicans Publications Committee what they're thankful for this year. Please enjoy their responses and have a wonderful and blessed holiday!
Hunter Ihrman
Director of Publications
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Communications
Hometown: Holland, MI
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Mashed Potatoes
At GW, we're all about politics, but Thanksgiving gives us a chance to put all our political differences aside and reflect on the good things in each of our lives. I'm especially thankful for my family and friends, who are always there when I am busy and stressed. This year, I've been blessed to work with my CRs committee -- Christoph, Josh, Joe, Jason, Clare, Ryan, Noah, Garret, Gabriela, and Patrick--and I'm thankful for all of you. In D.C., it's been an honor to walk into the U.S. Capitol Building every day and work in a building synonymous with our freedoms. To all, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and a relaxing week.
Christoph Zimmerman
Chief of Staff
Year: Sophomore
Major: Business, Economics, and Public Policy
Hometown: Waxhaw, NC
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Sweet Potato Casserole
I'm most thankful for my family. There's nothing more important than family, and Thanksgiving is the perfect time to take a moment and reflect on that.
Joe Ramallo
Assistant Director for New Media
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Communications
Hometown: Hillsborough, NJ
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Cranberries
A good meal is meant to be shared. Preferably with family and good mates. So this Thanksgiving season, I see nothing more fitting than to sit down with loved ones, friends, and family and share a warm, loving meal. Cheers!
Josh Kutner
Assistant Director of Editorial Services
Year: Sophomore
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Somerset, NJ
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Stuffing
On most days, we focus more on what we lack than what we cherish. But on Thanksgiving, we all get a chance to step back and value what we normally take for granted in our everyday lives. Rather than dwell on sad thoughts about the family and friends I've lost over the past year, today, I will be grateful for all of my loved ones who have stood by my side, through the good times and bad. I will value living in a nation that allows us to practice our religions freely, express our individual thoughts, and work to provide a better future for all of our descendants that will one day sit around the same Thanksgiving table.
Jason Hoffman
Assistant Director of Digital Member Services
Year: Junior
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Warren, NJ
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Anything with potatoes
I’m thankful for my family and friends. It is easy to take good company for granted, but I think it’s important to take time to stop and appreciate the awesome people that surround me everyday. I’m also thankful to be in good health and to have the opportunity to study here in our nation's capital!
Clare Hillen
Committee Member
Year: Freshman
Major: International Affairs and Russian
Hometown: Plymouth, MN
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: My mom's Green Bean Casserole
I am thankful for my family, for my friends, and that I am able to live in a country as great as the US. Without their support, I wouldn't have been able to overcome the challenges I have faced and thrived. I miss them, and am so thankful I am able to visit them over break!
Ryan Singsank
Committee Member
Year: Freshman
Major: International Affairs
Hometown: Pacific Palisades, CA
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Turkey with Gravy
This Thanksgiving, I am especially thankful to have supportive friends and family. Starting at GW this year has been a large and exciting transition, so I am very fortunate to have my friends and family who have been supporting me in my endeavors, both back home in California and here at GW. I am grateful to all of my friends and family, who I know will always have my back and will always be there for me.
Noah Levin
Committee Member
Year: Sophomore
Major: International Affairs and Political Science
Hometown: Cranston, RI
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Desserts!
After a whirlwind few months for America, I think we all have to take a step back and appreciate all that we have this Thanksgiving. In the short few months that we’ve been at GW, numerous devastating disasters have destroyed millions of people's lives. It is easy to watch something on the news and think that what's happening is horrible, but rarely are we able to truly reflect on someone else's suffering. We always think “it's not happening where I’m from,” or “it'll never happen to me.” Until it does. This Thanksgiving, I am blessed to be enjoying quality time with family and friends in the comfort of my own home. I am lucky, and I am thankful I have that luxury.
Garret Hoff
Committee Member
Year: Freshman
Major: Political Communications
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Mac & Cheese
I am thankful for my family who have been so supportive of me and had such an influence on my life. I am thankful for my day one amigos who have stood by even when I was wrong. I am thankful for my life and the challenges that I face because they make stronger. Most of all I am thankful for all of the amazing people who make our world our a better place and I am thankful for their perseverance through adversity. Keep fighting.
Gabriela Rodriguez Garcia
Committee Member
Year: Sophomore
Major: International Affairs
Hometown: Miramar, FL
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Since my family is Puerto Rican, we incorporate various dishes in addition to "traditional" items like dressing or sweet potatoes. My favorite holiday dish is arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas).
Like others, I’m thankful for the pillars of my life: my faith, my family, my friends. I’m thankful for the love I’ve been blessed to give and receive, for the free will I can exercise in freedom, for the ability to build my own future. After my time at GW, I'm increasingly grateful for the chance to serve others. To me, service is one of the ultimate expressions of gratitude - from running for public office to volunteering at a food bank, enlisting to defend our country to checking up on neighbors after a hurricane.
Patrick Burland
Committee Member
Year: Freshman
Major: Political Science
Hometown: Woodbridge, CT
Favorite Thanksgiving Food: Potatoes
I'm thankful for my health, family, and all the new friends I've made here at GW. And I'm especially thankful to live in one of the greatest cities in the greatest country in the world.
The Publications Committee assists the GW College Republicans Director of Publications in coordinating social media outreach, maintaining the chapter's online presence, and running the CRs Blog. The opinions expressed on this blog are the members' own opinions and do not necessarily represent the official views of the GW College Republicans.
