Staff

Chalvonna Smith Teachey is responsible for the overall strategic direction of SEAS Career Services. She believes that the most effective career services infuse professional development with the student experience. Chalvonna strives to create collaborative talent pipelines by connecting students to corporate, non-profit, government, and academic professional opportunities through hands-on employer engagement. Prior to her role at The George Washington University, Chalvonna worked at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business in employer relations and event management.

Chalvonna graduated in 2014 with an M.S. in Management from the University of Maryland, University College, and in 2008 with a B.A. in Philosophy and a minor in Rhetoric from the University of Maryland, College Park. She is currently a doctorate student at GW’s School of Education and Human Development in Human & Organizational Learning researching Trustworthy AI.

Jessica Palermo is the Senior Career Counselor at The GW School of Engineering and Applied Science, W. Scott Amey Career Services Center. She is a Certified Career Counselor which is only awarded to those who have an advanced education in counseling and professional experience in the field. In her role, she oversees the learning and development initiatives and crafts the career readiness strategy, ensuring SEAS students embark on their professional journeys feeling confident and well-prepared. Additionally, Jessica adeptly manages the team’s student workers, guiding their training and development to deliver exceptional service. With a rich background in higher education, Jessica previously served as a Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Humanities, and Mathematics Industry (STEAM) Career Coach and an Academic Advisor in business and STEM fields at another institution. Her love of learning is reflected in her graduate degrees in counseling and international peace and conflict resolution.

Linda is a first year professional psychology doctoral student at GW’s Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. A recent DMV resident, Linda grew up in New York City where she has spent the bulk of her academic career. She graduated in 2020 with her bachelor’s from Brooklyn College, where she was able to conduct research in the Culture and Child Development Lab. There she helped collect data, code audio transcriptions, and aid with writing. She has since presented at the New England Psychological Association conference and has been a co-author on a paper revolving around toddler friendships through a cultural lens. She has recently graduated from Stony Brook University with her Masters in Psychology. There she assisted in EEG capping and administering self-referent encoding tasks in the Temperament Lab. Linda also has experiences at mental health centers and worked for 2 years as a pharmacy technician. In her free time, she loves to paint, travel, take long walks, and go trinket shopping.

Adonia is a Career Ambassador at GWU’s School of Engineering and Applied Science Career Services Center, where she is pursuing her Master’s in Computer Science. With a background in Computer Engineering, she helps students with LinkedIn optimization and personal branding, provides technical support, conducts workshops and publishes tech blogs. Adonia’s mix of technical expertise and commitment to helping her peers makes her an essential guide for students navigating their tech careers.

I completed my undergraduate from Ahmedabad University, India, in Information and Communication Technology in May 2022. Then after I worked with Tata Consultancy Services from May’22 to Dec’23. Currently I am pursuing Master degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
Looking forward to work with a leading IT company as a software developer.
I my free time I love to explore new places in town and travel around. I also like to swim and listen to good soothing music!

Akash is a computer science graduate student and a career services ambassador in the SEAS department at GW. He completed his bachelor’s in computer science and has rich experience in the technology and consulting field. He is driven by a curiosity for learning and a passion for solving complex problems and is involved in outreach programs for the department and guiding students with their resumés and cover letter. He has strong leadership and communication skills and is passionate about helping students achieve their career goals.

Passionate about emerging technologies, AI ethics, and software development, I thrive at the intersection of innovation, business, and technology. With two years of experience building scalable software systems, I’ve embraced the challenges of working on cutting-edge projects and contributing to meaningful change. While I’m not out to change the world on my own, I take pride in being part of the transformative shifts happening in the tech landscape.

As someone who values continuous growth, I enjoy exploring how technology can drive excellence and innovation across industries. In my downtime, you’ll often find me diving into a good book, discovering new music, or engaging in activities that keep my mind sharp and curious.