SmartDC - Leaders
SmartDC - Meet Our 2024-25 Leaders
Lauren Patrick
Lauren Patrick is a junior majoring in English and political science on a pre-law track. She has a background in non-profit administration, volunteering, journalism, and creative writing. Previously, she has worked in areas including domestic violence prevention and survivor support, public education funding, disability support and advocacy, and food insecurity prevention and aid.
Madeleine Will
Madeleine Will is a Senior majoring in Human Services and Social Justice with a minor in Public Health on the pre-health track. She has been volunteering with Horton’s Kids for a year and recently joined as their SMARTDC partner. Before beginning at the Nashman Center, Madeleine worked for GWIT for two years.
Noor Deify
Meet Noor Deify! Noor is currently in his second year at George Washington University, pursuing a double major in Economics and International Business with a minor in Statistics. For countless years, Noor has always upheld the GW value of service and continues to find new ways to demonstrate his ability to lead and serve the GW and broader DC community every day. During the 2023-2024 academic year, he has served in the first-year program known as Civic House, a living learning community associated with the Nashman Center that is dedicated to utilizing public service and civic engagement as the main pillars that drive real-world change in the GW and DC communities. Since November 2023, Noor has also spent his time outside of the academic realm to tutor at Reading Partners DC, a SMARTDC non-profit organization that is dedicated to enhancing the reading skills of children who attend underserved schools in the District. Starting from Fall 2024, Noor will be taking on a new leadership role as a SMARTDC Site Leader for Reading Partners DC, continuing his efforts to create an effective and positive learning environment for the children that he serves.
Ruby Leonard
Ruby Leonard is a sophomore majoring in Human Services and Social Justice with a minor in Spanish. She has been volunteering at For Love of Children for a year and recently became one of the SMART-DC leaders for the site. Ruby is committed to thinking about and including different cultural voices in her work, which has ranged from social justice to climate resiliency. She is looking forward to working with Nashman and GW students to create a lasting impact on the DC community.
Edgar Zuniga
Edgar Zuniga is a sophomore majoring in Finance with a strong background in volunteering, consistently demonstrating his passion for community service. His commitment to Civic House, a Nashman Center program, and his role as a Community Engagement Site Leader and student tutor at For Love of Children highlight his dedication. Edgar believes that every child is important and deserves quality education both inside and outside the classroom. He advocates for guaranteed access to these opportunities and a clear path to a post-secondary degree for every child.
Ferdoos Baghbanian
Ferdoos Baghbanian is a sophomore double majoring in Political Science & Spanish. This will be her second year serving the greater dc community as a tutor and mentor at Horton’s Kids. As an Iranian-American, Ferdoos is devoted to ensuring equal educational opportunities for students of color.
Elissa Colon Pan
Elissa Colon Pan is a sophomore planning to major in Criminal Justice with a minor in Chinese. She has just started volunteering for Higher Achievement and is the leader at this site for SMART DC. She has previously worked with students in after-school programs for 2 years and is excited to continue to make an impact.