Schar School News May 2023

Ian Gates: Taking His Schar School Experience to Local Government

Andrew J Schappert — Wed, 10 May 2023 20:37:19 +0000

Ian Gates: Taking His Schar School Experience to Local Government Andrew J Schappert Wed, 05/10/2023 - 16:37

Ian Gates: Local politics, he said, ‘will affect you whether you choose to affect it or not.’

While he was first drawn to ��AV by its proximity to the nation’s capital, Ian Gates discovered a passion for local politics and community organizing during his time in the Schar School of Policy and Government.

Gates, who graduates this month with a bachelor of science degree in public administration, continually found new experiences to complement his degree while studying government.

“I found basically something different to do every semester,” he said about the past four years. From interning in the office of former U.S. Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D) on Capitol Hill to working as a fellow at the nonprofit and nonpartisan political encyclopedia Ballotpedia—with other illuminating positions in between—Gates found ways to apply his love for and knowledge of policy in just about every level of government.

With a location on the outskirts of the seat of U.S. government in Washington, D.C., the Schar School, and Mason in general, are singularly situated to facilitate experiential learning for those desiring to accelerate their political careers. Practitioners as professors, high-profile guest speakers, and internships at key agencies are just a few of the ways the Schar School helps students achieve their goals in public affairs.

It was through taking diverse policy classes at the Schar School that Gates, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, discovered his passion for local government and political organizing.

For instance, in a class about education in the U.S., Gates developed an interest in education policy. The real-world implications of this policy issue area were made immediately evident to him when professor Anne Holton sent the class to an Arlington County, Virginia, school board meeting to see education policy in action.

This inspiring experience proved valuable: Gates researched education funding policy during his time working for Georgia Engage, an organization involved in state-level policy issues.

Similarly, Gates found his Schar School urban planning class particularly fascinating and immediately applicable.

“I've always had an interest in urban planning and transportation policy,” Gates said, “but it was especially cool to learn more about the technical aspects.” Studying urban planning and learning the terminology of this niche policy topic encouraged him to attend his first zoning meeting in his hometown of Atlanta.

As the city leaders discussed rewriting their zoning ordinances for the first time in 40 years, Gates understood the policy issues of land-use planning being weighed. He appreciated, he said, “being able to make educated opinion, or make educated statements about these topics, and make an impact on my community.”

Gates looks forward to quickly applying his experience in local political organizing and education policy as he begins a post-graduation position with the Tulsa Service Year program, a one-year fellowship for recent college graduates designed to teach political leadership skills. Working on education policy with a group of nonprofits in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Gates will use the knowledge and skills he gained from the Schar School at the local level.

Gates’ words of advice to Mason students is to take advantage of opportunities the Schar School, the university as a whole, and the Washington, D.C., region has to offer. “Be a part of the community and be engaged,” he said.

Gates especially encourages government students to get involved in local and regional politics and not forget their impact on all levels of policy work.

“Everyone [should] go to your local planning and school board meetings,” Gates said, “because these decisions are going to be made whether you’re there or not, so you’d rather be there. Politics will affect you whether you choose to affect it or not.”

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Anne Holton

Irish MPA Student Grace Furlong Helps Mason Take First in Women’s Track & Field

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 09 May 2023 17:24:20 +0000

Irish MPA Student Grace Furlong Helps Mason Take First in Women’s Track & Field Andrew J Schappert Tue, 05/09/2023 - 13:24

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Grace Furlong and the Mason Women’s Track & Field team racked up another A-10 championship.

Congratulations to Schar School of Policy and Government Master of Public Administration student Grace Furlong for contributing to two No. 1 placements in ��AV’s A-10 Women’s Track & Field Outdoor Championship. The Patriot women finished first overall at the University of Massachusetts last weekend. This is the women’s fifth time winning the outdoor championship and the first since 2019.

As you may recall from our October profile (see it here), Furlong is not only a 3.89 GPA master’s student with volunteer positions at Washington-based foreign relations agencies, but she’s also Irish, a native of Waterford, making her one of the few grad students who is also a scholarship track champ.

Last weekend, Furlong was the long jump champion, with a leap of 6.02 meters, and her teammate Henrike Fielder won silver with a 5.96 meter jump. The Patriots swept the triple jump, led by Dhiambi Otete, whose 12.77 meter leap equaled a facility record. Furlong and teammate Kelsey Sebwe set personal bests, taking the silver and bronze at 12.67m and 12.49m.

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Schar School Students Gain Valuable Insights at Council on Foreign Relations Visit

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 02 May 2023 18:50:57 +0000

Schar School Students Gain Valuable Insights at Council on Foreign Relations Visit Andrew J Schappert Tue, 05/02/2023 - 14:50

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Schar School learning community students and their professors pose in front of the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C. Photo by Gretchen Curry/Schar School of Policy and Government

More than 30 students from three of the Schar School of Policy and Government’s student learning communities—Democracy Lab, Pillars of Research, and International Relations Policy Task Force—recently had the opportunity to visit the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C.

Founded in 1921, the Council on Foreign Relations is a leading U.S. think tank specializing in foreign policy and international relations. The Council is typically made up of secretaries of state, bankers, lawyers, academics, and others, who focus on issues promoting diplomacy, trade, military cooperation, and other challenges that affect national security in dozens of regions around the world.

Schar School students explored the Council's headquarters located near the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which is adjacent to the White House. Students toured the expressively decorated building, where an array of murals and historical artifacts depict significant scenes from American history, including the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and the Battle of Gettysburg.

The students also had the privilege of meeting and engaging with Esther Brimmer, the James A. Binger senior fellow in global governance, and an expert on transatlantic relations and U.S. foreign policy. She shared insights on international organizations and her experience at the State Department. Students had the chance to discuss current events and foreign policy with Brimmer, gaining knowledge about potential career opportunities in international law and foreign policy-related fields.

Schar School senior Shafuq Naseem attended the visit and asked Brimmer about her experience.

“It was interesting to hear about topics I've learned about in courses at the Schar School being applied in a professional setting,” she said.

Caroline McCarry, assistant director of human resources at the Council, encouraged students to apply for the vast number of internships the think tank offers and also invited them to seek employment with the Council after they graduated from the Schar School.

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Meet the New VP of Student Government: Nell Palumbo

Andrew J Schappert — Mon, 01 May 2023 15:45:49 +0000

Meet the New VP of Student Government: Nell Palumbo Andrew J Schappert Mon, 05/01/2023 - 11:45

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Nell Palumbo poses with a vintage auto during a study abroad visit to Cuba.

If ever there was a lesson to be learned about elections, this year’s contest for student body leadership was it. Paul Wyche, a cyber security engineering major, and running mate Nell Palumbo, a government and international politics major at the Schar School of Policy and Government, won the ��AV student body presidency and vice presidency, respectively, by a mere three votes.

Of the 1,474 votes cast, the Wyche-Palumbo combo took 646 of them, topping the Liam Keen-Amanda Magpiong ticket’s 643 votes. Wyche and Palumbo were sworn in on April 27.

For Nashville native Palumbo, the three weeks of campaigning she characterized as “stressful” were worth the effort. “I believe that the most important part of Mason is the students,” she said.

Palumbo, who will be a junior in the fall, chose to attend Mason since it fit with her desire to go to a large university near Washington, D.C., where she could pursue a future in government. But as her first semester as a freshman came and went, she was nervous that she would be lost amid crowds.

To her surprise, she saw benefits of belonging to a smaller school—the Schar School—within a larger institution and found that it unlocked more paths for her future.

She added that relationships with professors, who encouraged her to explore new avenues of academics, influenced her to consider law school, which is now on her horizon.

Palumbo has taken advantage of leadership opportunities during her Mason career. As her sorority’s president, Alpha Phi, she strives to motivate peers and improve community building. Although the chapter does not have a traditional Greek house, she has managed to live with several of her sorority sisters in a home that offers stress-busting DIY projects. At the moment, she is working on gardening boxes she plans to bring from the Mason greenhouse to her own house.

Palumbo is also enjoying the proximity to Washington, working this summer as an intern on Capitol Hill. A prior internship for the Institute for Justice in Arlington, Virginia, prepared her for her next political assignment.

Included on the Wyche-Palumbo campaign platform was a promise to increase student engagement with student government. Palumbo hopes to explore new ways to use communication platforms to generate participation in common goals.

And in doing so, maybe get more students to vote.