Meet Rocio Santiago-Balsalobre
Academic Department Administrator
Hi! My name is Rocio, and I’m from Winter Park, Florida. I graduated from the University of Florida (Go Gators!) in 2024 with a double major in Marketing and Psychology. A fun fact about me is that I was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, so I love the beach and warm weather.
After graduating from UF, I moved to D.C. in August 2024 to begin my M.A. in Organizational Sciences at GW. Since my classes are in the evenings, I was looking for a job, found SMPA, and the rest is history! One of my top accomplishments so far has been organizing the Institute for Public Diplomacy and Global Communication’s 2024 Congressional Award for Senator Tammy Duckworth, who is a GW alum. Getting to visit the Capitol for the award ceremony was a very cool experience.
In five years, I hope to be working in organizational development or consulting. I’m really enjoying D.C. so far, but I also see myself exploring other cities.
The most rewarding part of my job is getting to meet and work with so many interesting people, both within SMPA and across the university. Being able to help students navigate their time at GW and take away some of their stress is very rewarding. I also really enjoy helping out with so many interesting events that SMPA hosts. There is always something going on, which keeps it exciting.
My advice for SMPA and GW students is to take advantage of the wonderful faculty and staff who are here to support you. Since SMPA is so small, there is a real sense of community that is not always present in other schools or departments, so try to make connections with other students and professors while you are here. Also, make sure to save some time for yourself and enjoy your college experience beyond the classroom.