Sparks Fly at McCourt: Three Georgetown Love Stories

Meet this year’s couples

Justine Cenzer and Sam Andrews

Justine Cenzer (MPP’27) and Sam Andrews (MPP’26) met on the second day of McCourt’s Foundations orientation. Andrews joined a conversation Cenzer was having with a classmate about his work in housing policy. Even without sharing events in the same group, they kept managing to cross paths, and by the final evening of Foundations, they had become close friends.

One month after they first met, their relationship grew deeper. “Sam found the courage to suggest that our friendship might be something more,” Cenzer says. She agreed, and they have been happily together ever since.

Today, the couple continues their studies at the McCourt School and is “planning an exciting” future together. Next year, Andrews will head to Paris for Georgetown’s dual degree program with HEC Paris Business School, and Cenzer plans to join him in the fall to study abroad at Sciences Po. Beyond Paris, they are looking forward to traveling the world together and “making an impact” through careers in energy and environmental policy.

Hannah Blair and Josahn Oginga

Hannah Blair (MPP’27) and Josahn Oginga (MS-DSPP’26) met during orientation as Schwarzman Scholars at Tsinghua University in Beijing, China. Their peers noticed their immediate connection.

“Other Schwarzman Scholars would tell you that we were together by the end of orientation,” Blair quips.

Quickly, they realized they shared interests and values, including a love of travel, a taste for new foods, a closeness to their families and an appreciation for the outdoors. In their first year together as Schwarzman Scholars, they visited many parts of China and traveled to seven countries.

Oginga was selected as a McCourt Scholar towards the end of their year in China. From there, the couple relocated to Washington, DC, for Oginga’s MS-DSPP program. Inspired by the community and his experiences at Georgetown, Blair enrolled the following year and was recognized as a Tech & Public Policy program Scholar.

“Over the past two and a half years, our relationship has evolved around our shared academic pursuits, and we have been lucky to complete two master’s degrees together,” says Blair. “McCourt offers a unique opportunity to meet people who share your values and a commitment to the public good and service. After we graduate (and with newfound free time), we are excited to spend more time traveling and being of service to our communities and the causes we care about.”

Haley Morton and Brad Morton

Haley Morton (MPP’27) and Brad Morton (MBA’27) met in the U.S. Army in 2017.  The couple went through a challenging Army course together, and Haley admired Brad’s ability to laugh even through their intensive training. One memory that comes to mind for Haley is the time Brad led an impromptu karaoke session while they both cleaned equipment after trudging through mud during an Army training session. Initially, they developed a strong friendship and remained friends for a couple of years.

“I was drawn to his zest for life and sense of humor,” she says. After a few years, while waiting for their next Army assignment, the couple decided they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.

“We realized we didn’t want to do life without each other, and that made the decision to get married pretty easy!” they say.

The Mortons got married in 2021 and moved to Germany. Last year, Haley was accepted into the McCourt School, and Brad into Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. “Thanks to Georgetown, we’ve been able to continue our academic journey together in one of the best cities on earth, surrounded by an amazing community,” the couple says.

After graduation, the Mortons look forward to moving to New York, where Haley will instruct cadets in international affairs at the U.S. Military Academy. Brad has since transitioned out of the Army after eight honorable years of service and looks to pursue a career in investment management or consulting.