Keeping an Open Mind

Youssef Gorgi

Student-athlete Youssef Gorgi '14. Photo by CJ Photography.

Youssef Gorgi '14

Youssef Gorgi '14 has built houses in West Virginia, studied in Prague, attended Oktoberfest in Munich, networked with New York alumni and completed internships at two major companies. But, as he notes, these valuable life experiences would have taught him very little if he hadn't developed one critical skill. 

Major

Political science. 

Clubs and organizations:

Men’s lacrosse and Raven’s Claw.

Favorite book:

Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer.

Favorite movie:

Training Day.

Little-known talent:

I played the trombone for six years.

On choosing Dickinson:

I decided to attend Dickinson because of its strong academics, and I also wanted to play for [Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach] Dave Webster.

Favorite class:

My senior seminar, Comparative Political Corruption, with Professor [Mark] Ruhl. We had great discussions in each class. He’s an excellent teacher!

On choosing a major:

I took International Relations with Professor [Andrew] Wolff during the first semester of my freshman year and really enjoyed it. That led me to sign up for more political-science classes. I thought it would give me a great worldview.

Favorite place on campus:

The Durden Athletic Training Center.

As a kid, I wanted to be . . .

. . . in the armed forces.

Post-Dickinson plans:

My hope is to leave campus as a national lacrosse champion. After graduation, I will begin my new job at General Electric. 

On studying abroad:

I studied in Prague, Czech Republic. The highlight of my experience was going to Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany, with Draper [John] Donley ‘14.

If I could have dinner with anyone, living or dead, it would be . . .

Anthony Kiedis.

Proudest accomplishment:

It’s a tie between winning two high-school lacrosse state championships along with my younger brother and winning the Centennial Conference [at Dickinson] for the past three years.

In a perfect world . . .

. . . Mitt Romney would be president.

On internships and networking:

I interned at ConnectEDU and at GE Capital, where I’ll work after graduation. The internships taught me how to work effectively in a professional environment with people from various backgrounds.

I also took a trip to New York City [hosted by Dickinson’s men’s-lacrosse team and the Career Center] to meet with young alumni who work at Barclays, CBRE and Stifel Nicolaus. They were helpful, and it was awesome to see young Dickinsonians finding great success after graduation.

Favorite professor:

Kim Rogers. I have taken a course with her almost every semester, and have loved each one. I really respect the way she teaches and how she encourages her students to think. [Professor Rogers died suddenly in February 2014. She is sorely missed in the Dickinson community.]

Most important thing I’ve learned so far:

An open mind is essential to learning. 

Published March 20, 2014