Georgetown’s “Dog Days” of Summer: Marissa Nissley and Smalls
By • August 8, 2024 0 583
Meet Marissa Nissley and her guide dog Smalls, a 3-year-old Labrador Retriever.
Smalls is an adventurous yet easygoing girl with a huge heart. She loves playing fetch for hours on end, exploring new places, and snuggling with her favorite stuffed companion—a hedgehog named Hedgie. As many Georgetown residents can surely relate to, she has an acute distaste for Lime scooters. Before his untimely passing last summer, one of her closest furry friends was Georgetown University’s late mascot Jack the Bulldog (as for Jack’s replacement, however, the youngster is a tad too hyperactive for her liking). Her favorite Georgetown hotspots include SoulCycle—she enjoys hanging out in the office as Nissley spins—and the Apple Store—the cold concrete flooring helps her beat the heat during D.C.’s sweltering summer months. Additionally, she loves visiting any place with free dog treats, including Compass Coffee, Ice Cream Jubilee, and—rather hilariously—Dixie Liquor on M Street.
“It could be Saturday at 8 in the morning and she’ll try to take me there,” Nissley said.
Nissley studied Management and Accounting with a minor in Disability Studies at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business (MSB). A lifelong dog lover, prior to the Guide Dog Foundation (GDF) pairing her with Smalls in Jan. 2023, Nissley ran an Instagram account called @gtownpups where she showcased all of the adorable dogs she encountered while walking around the Georgetown neighborhood. During her undergraduate career, she was also a member of Jack Crew—the team of Georgetown students responsible for taking Jack the Bulldog on his daily walks and escorting him to school events such as basketball games at Capital One Arena.
With Smalls at her side, Nissley gives a Ted Talk at Georgetown University. Photo courtesy of Marissa Nissley.
Currently, Nissley works as a mentor for the Overbrook School for the Blind. She will begin working for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) full-time in Jan. 2025. She also has her own podcast, a monthly show called Legally Blonde & Blind where she “explor[es] self-advocacy, accessibility, friendships, and other topics relating to the experiences of blind young adults.”
When Nissley graduated from Georgetown this past spring, she was honored with the Rita Zekas Sielicki Award, an award named for the MSB’s first female graduate. She was also selected to speak at the MSB’s annual Tropaia ceremony. On graduation day, Smalls got to walk across the stage right alongside Nissley. Smalls even received her own special diploma in accordance with her formidable skill set.
“She got an honorary degree in Fetch Analytics,” Nissley said.
For Nissley, walking across the stage with her beloved furry friend was a “surreal moment.”
Smalls poses at Georgetown University. Photo courtesy of Marissa Nissley.
“When I first started college, I didn’t want a guide dog at all, so to get to a point where I now feel more safe and confident than I ever have before, getting to celebrate that with Smalls was huge,” Nissley said. “It’s also a once in a lifetime experience. I’m probably going to have more guide dogs in my life, but this is something I get to experience with just Smalls.”
Though Nissley and Smalls have recently relocated to Arlington, once a Georgetown pup, always a Georgetown pup! You can keep up with Smalls and Marissa on Instagram @smalls.gdf and @legallyblondeblind.
