Connecting Colonials
12/2/2020 1:00:00 PM | Gymnastics, Women's Rowing, My GW: Celebrating our Stories, Student-Athlete Development
GW Athletics Mentorship Program continues to prepare student-athletes for next step
During their first meeting after being matched through the GW Athletics Mentorship Program, Catherine Khanamirian and Jillian Winstanley made tentative plans to connect at least once a month.
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Over Zoom calls, text messages and emails this fall, the pair quickly built a relationship that stretched beyond a monthly calendar invite.
"Jillian and I just immediately clicked," said Khanamirian, a senior on the GW women's rowing squad. "She's been a great fit for me."
Indeed, Khanamirian appreciated the help navigating recruiting season amid the COVID-19 global pandemic with an eye on a career in consulting. With her graduation in sight, the New York native was able to secure a position with Guidehouse based in Chicago working in the firm's life sciences division beginning next fall.
Winstanley, a GW gymnastics alumna who has worked locally in government and public services consulting at Deloitte since graduating in 2018, offered her virtual support every step of the way, the latest success story to come from the long-running program that pairs current Colonials with alumni in their field.
"We just kind of broke things down from that first meeting, outlining what were some tangible steps she could take to try to find employment within the consulting space," Winstanley said. "Especially now with all the uncertainty, I'm sure a lot of people are nervous about the job market, but Catherine was super gung-ho and energetic like 'This is my goal, and I know I'm going to achieve it.' That made the job almost easy for me as a mentor."
For Winstanley, it was easy to put herself in Khanamirian's shoes.
Three years ago, she was in the same spot, leaning on her mentor, former cross country standout Giannis Doulamis, for similar guidance. He became a trusted source of advice and helped set her up with shadowing opportunities to get a feel for life in consulting at Deloitte.
"He was really pivotal to why I decided to come to the firm," said Winstanley, who became the first GW gymnast to be named EAGL Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2017. "I've always had that in mind, remembering what the program did for me. I wanted to pay that forward."
Khanamirian, meanwhile, brought an enthusiasm to get the most out of the mentoring program, which features 28 pairings connecting student-athletes and alumni across the athletic department in 2020-21.
Now in her final semester of studying in the Elliott School to secure an International Affairs degree with a dual concentration in Economics and Development, the veteran rower discovered her passion for consulting last summer working for a student-run, pro-bono start-up in the District.
She knew she could use help as she entered the job hunt, managing the lengthy process from application to interview to offer.
Right away, Khanamarian told her mentor she'd be reaching out with questions. Whether it's a quick response via text or coffee over Zoom, Winstanley has been ready to help.
Even though they haven't been able to meet in person due to the pandemic, they've formed a special bond.
"This program has definitely been instrumental in really helping me pave my path forward," Khanamarian said. "I think that me bouncing ideas off Jillian and hearing more about her experience and just literally having conversations about what leadership looks like have been so great for me."
Winstanley was particularly helpful explaining how to leverage experiences representing the Buff and Blue, both in competition and through student-athlete development programming, in the interview process.
"I just wanted to remind her to highlight those unique opportunities you get as a GW student-athlete that seem normal to you but you don't realize that a lot of other people out there in the general population don't have that type of experience and opportunity," Winstanley said.
It was a meaningful moment for both of them when Khanamarian revealed on a recent call that she'd received her job offer and accepted. Together, they celebrated a milestone months in the making.
"It's definitely a privilege to have people believe in you and support you," said Khanamirian, who hopes to be able to carry that spirit forward as a mentor herself. "Everyone needs that to succeed. I'm really grateful to Jillian and all the people in the athletic department that have supported me in getting this far."
Interested in volunteering? GW Athletics is seeking alumni help for its upcoming virtual Alumni Networking Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. Register here.
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Over Zoom calls, text messages and emails this fall, the pair quickly built a relationship that stretched beyond a monthly calendar invite.
"Jillian and I just immediately clicked," said Khanamirian, a senior on the GW women's rowing squad. "She's been a great fit for me."
Indeed, Khanamirian appreciated the help navigating recruiting season amid the COVID-19 global pandemic with an eye on a career in consulting. With her graduation in sight, the New York native was able to secure a position with Guidehouse based in Chicago working in the firm's life sciences division beginning next fall.
Winstanley, a GW gymnastics alumna who has worked locally in government and public services consulting at Deloitte since graduating in 2018, offered her virtual support every step of the way, the latest success story to come from the long-running program that pairs current Colonials with alumni in their field.
"We just kind of broke things down from that first meeting, outlining what were some tangible steps she could take to try to find employment within the consulting space," Winstanley said. "Especially now with all the uncertainty, I'm sure a lot of people are nervous about the job market, but Catherine was super gung-ho and energetic like 'This is my goal, and I know I'm going to achieve it.' That made the job almost easy for me as a mentor."
For Winstanley, it was easy to put herself in Khanamirian's shoes.
Three years ago, she was in the same spot, leaning on her mentor, former cross country standout Giannis Doulamis, for similar guidance. He became a trusted source of advice and helped set her up with shadowing opportunities to get a feel for life in consulting at Deloitte.
"He was really pivotal to why I decided to come to the firm," said Winstanley, who became the first GW gymnast to be named EAGL Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2017. "I've always had that in mind, remembering what the program did for me. I wanted to pay that forward."
Khanamirian, meanwhile, brought an enthusiasm to get the most out of the mentoring program, which features 28 pairings connecting student-athletes and alumni across the athletic department in 2020-21.
Now in her final semester of studying in the Elliott School to secure an International Affairs degree with a dual concentration in Economics and Development, the veteran rower discovered her passion for consulting last summer working for a student-run, pro-bono start-up in the District.
She knew she could use help as she entered the job hunt, managing the lengthy process from application to interview to offer.
Right away, Khanamarian told her mentor she'd be reaching out with questions. Whether it's a quick response via text or coffee over Zoom, Winstanley has been ready to help.
Even though they haven't been able to meet in person due to the pandemic, they've formed a special bond.
"This program has definitely been instrumental in really helping me pave my path forward," Khanamarian said. "I think that me bouncing ideas off Jillian and hearing more about her experience and just literally having conversations about what leadership looks like have been so great for me."
Winstanley was particularly helpful explaining how to leverage experiences representing the Buff and Blue, both in competition and through student-athlete development programming, in the interview process.
"I just wanted to remind her to highlight those unique opportunities you get as a GW student-athlete that seem normal to you but you don't realize that a lot of other people out there in the general population don't have that type of experience and opportunity," Winstanley said.
It was a meaningful moment for both of them when Khanamarian revealed on a recent call that she'd received her job offer and accepted. Together, they celebrated a milestone months in the making.
"It's definitely a privilege to have people believe in you and support you," said Khanamirian, who hopes to be able to carry that spirit forward as a mentor herself. "Everyone needs that to succeed. I'm really grateful to Jillian and all the people in the athletic department that have supported me in getting this far."
Interested in volunteering? GW Athletics is seeking alumni help for its upcoming virtual Alumni Networking Forum on Wednesday, Feb. 10 at 5 p.m. Register here.
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