Thomas Mitchell

Class of 2017-2018

Georgetown University, 2017
Neurobiology

After finishing my neurobiology degree at Georgetown, I was eager to apply my newfound knowledge in the world of business. As a student in the ESTEEM program, I had the chance to collaborate with a professor who was developing a novel, smartphone-based application for weight loss and fitness. In the process of writing my capstone thesis, I refined my abilities as a thinker, speaker, and written communicator in the life sciences. Towards the end of the year, after editing my peers’ theses, I knew that writing and editing professionally would be a great, long-term pursuit.  

With the University of Notre Dame as my first client, I founded Tech Write Plus – a freelance writing and editing practice targeting clients in science, technology, and business. Today, I primarily engage companies in the continuing medical education space, who develop programs that help improve the quality of care that clinicians provide to their patients. In my role, I write content that is cogent, persuasive, and ultimately strategic. What gaps in care exist today and why? Why should a certain disease receive further funding for research? How can education fix the problems of today?

As I continue developing my craft, I find myself appreciative of the experiences I accrued in ESTEEM. When you’re an entrepreneur, you are figuratively wearing a lot of hats – you’re sourcing new clients, you’re setting rates, you’re exploring new markets, and much more. Having the chance to practice these skills in an academic setting made the transition to running my own small business significantly easier. While I constantly face new challenges, I feel that my dual degrees have given me a clarity of purpose and the confidence necessary to forge ahead towards greater horizons.