Staff

Chalvonna Smith 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 a M.S. in Management from 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. As a Pittsburgh native, she is a proud Steelers fan.

Kendra is the Senior Career Counselor and works with SEAS graduate students on their career development. She believes that everyone has an interesting story and her goal is to empower students to tell their story well as they navigate career transitions. She also works with the International Student Career Ambassadors to improve the international student experience.

Previously, Kendra was a career counselor at Georgetown University and research assistant for a social services evaluation firm. She earned her MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from GW’s School of Education and Human Development, and a BA in Psychology from Duke University. She is a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor in the District of Columbia, and a Certified MBTI Practitioner. Kendra is originally from Lexington, KY, is a passionate Kentucky Wildcat basketball fan, and any Prince song is her favorite song.

Brian recently joined the SEAS Career Services department serving as our undergraduate Career Counselor. Brian has over 12 years of experience working as a Therapist, Academic Advisor, Counselor, Professor, and Researcher. For the past seven years Brian has provided career counseling and advising services to Virginia Tech graduate students, undergraduate students at Northern Virginia Community College and Montgomery College, as well as returning Peace Corps Volunteers. Brian holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology from Marymount University and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Virginia Tech.

Brian enjoys helping students explore career paths and setting goals that align with the students interests and values. Brian also believes that assisting students in better understanding what “soft skills” and emotional intelligence are and how they play a vital role in landing the job you want.

When Brian is not working he enjoys traveling. He has visited 30 of the 58 National Parks in the United States, with the goal of visiting all 58 over the next several years. Currently, Brian’s favorite National Park is Crater Lake located in Oregon.

Amber Samuels is the Graduate Career Services Fellow at GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Randolph-Macon College and a Master of Science degree in Counseling & Human Development from Radford University. She is currently a student at GWU’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development and is working toward a Ph.D. in Counseling. Amber is interested in both clinical practice and higher education and would ultimately like to teach and practice counseling.

Prior to her role at The George Washington University, Amber worked as a Resident Assistant and Orientation Leader at Randolph-Macon College. She also worked as a Professor of Record at Radford University and taught 3 sections of an undergraduate career decision course, COED 260: Seminar in Career Development. In addition, she enjoyed working directly with students as a Career Counselor at Radford University’s Career Center. Amber currently participates in various associations including the American Counseling Association (ACA), the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision (ACES), the Association for Adult Development and Aging (AADA), and Counselors for Social Justice (CSJ).

Sam is an undergraduate in SEAS majoring in biomedical engineering and is set to graduate in 2019.  A recent addition to the career services team, she hopes to help students make the connections they need to succeed in their desired fields.

Outside of school, Sam spends much of her time searching DC for the perfect brunch.

Sean Zha considers himself as a global citizen, who is currently studying marketing and business analytics at GWU school of business. He has been traveling, studying and wondering throughout his life. He studied at many schools overall the world, including one in Tokyo, four in China and one in Chicago. He has developed strong adaptive skills as he must learn quickly and work well with others, by being exposed to many different social environments. He is more than happy to meet and help GWU engineering students to pursue their dreams and careers. 

Born and raised in China, Yiwen moved to the US for college. She holds a BBA degree from GWSB, and she is currently pursuing an MS in Business Analytics. Yiwen is aspired to use her analytical skills to drive actionable insights and solve complex problems. In her free time, she enjoys trying new restaurants and exploring museums.