About Jasmine Zamprogno

As a greeter at this year’s International Student House Global Leadership Awards Dinner (see, I was greeting guests with the ‘shortened’ version of the title!), I met every guest as they entered the Whittemore House in a flurry of handshakes, coats and warm smiles. I had been looking forward to the dinner since I arrived at the House and was excited to be the one to greet our guests at the door – this way I would be able to say I at least met every person attending.

This was the 10^th year of the dinner being hosted by ISH, and our first at the Whittemore House, in order to be able to accommodate the growing number of guests who wished to give to the House and meet the students. We had been assured that the guests were eager to meet us, and indeed they were. I received so many pleasant comments and encouragements from those who came through the door. A highlight included a lovely conversation with Congressman Mark Meadows, who jokingly said he had not seen me at the recent State Dinner at the White House honouring Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. I also found myself a little lost for words when I greeted a princess.
All too soon it was time for dinner, a delicious three course offering, interspersed with speeches. I was moved by the tone of the speeches by our honourees, Congressmen Rick Larson and Mark Meadows. From opposing parties, they light-heartedly acknowledged their differences, and the general partisan mood in America. However, not only did they count each other as friends, they agreed there was something that they could always work in harmony on: students. Both had been introduced to International Student House through their spouses, and had become champions of the message of the house: inclusion, diversity and scholarship. They called it ‘soft diplomacy’: if students from countries around the world could live under one roof, share meals and their lives, then those were lessons we could both share with America, and bring home with us.

I was very, very proud to be an ISH resident in that moment. It reminded me that even something as simple as us all going about our days in harmony with one another should be celebrated. We students walked out at the end of the night with our heads held high, having all met a wide range of incredible and interesting people who had been eager to share their stories and wisdom with us.

I hope I can one day return to the dinner as an alumna and share my stories with the next generation of ISH residents.

“I didn’t think Australians were interested in politics.”

So said my Customs Officer as I anxiously waited for her to process my arrival at Honolulu International Airport, en route to Washington, DC. She had asked me why I had chosen to attend Georgetown. Flustered, I gave a quick response: I said it was a because I had received a scholarship, and because I was interested in politics.

It was a true answer, and she was certainly mistaken that Australians were apathetic about politics.  However, later, as I landed bleary-eyed in DC after almost 20 hours of flying, even I was questioning my motivation: was ‘I’m interested in politics’ really a worthy justification for my decision to pack up my life and move to the other side of the world?

Luckily for me, I had chosen to live at International Student House, where an interest in politics was almost a condition of entry. Not only had many of my fellow residents also moved across the world to DC to chase a dream, they had no such qualms that being an Australian meant I would be disinterested in politics.

“Compulsory voting? Interesting. Do you think it works?”

“What do you think about that controversial woman – red head – Pauline Hanson?”

“Your most recent election was also won by the conservative party. Are there parallels between the political climate in Australia and America?”

Of course, in amongst questions on affairs of state, there was always going to be a general curiosity about Australian culture.

“Level with me, Vegemite, what exactly is it?” (In their defense, this was due to the fact on my very first day in the House I had worn a t-shirt with Vegemite on it.)

The already infamous Vegemite shirt (featuring a jar of Vegemite which I will bring to breakfast so fellow residents can try)

These questions were not at all unwelcome. In fact, I thought it was excellent that my fellow residents were so curious, as it showed that we all wanted to learn more about each other and the world we lived in.

I felt a similar energy when I attended my first day of orientation at Georgetown Law the next week. My fellow classmates were eager to learn, to be inspired, to better ourselves, and this was true even if we didn’t yet know the how, when, or why.

Georgetown Law Campus

Out and about during Orientation Week (note I am once again wearing the Vegemite shirt)

I am now approaching the end of my second week in DC, and whilst I feel settled and sure of myself and my choice to move here, I still don’t have the ‘right’ answer for why I have chosen Georgetown, and in part, Washington DC. I just know I’m exactly where I am supposed to be.