“Throughout my political career, whether it be through campaign or official government entities, I learned how to talk to others. Through the tense political culture we’re currently living through, it takes positive discourse to bridge divides of disagreements. That’s the only way we can have functioning government bodies and foster relationships. Throughout my time in MGA, I learned just that. I was able to debate freely without any possibility of fear that I would be criticized or shamed. That has translated into my current field of work.

Now that I have graduated JMU – and even throughout my time there – I have taken these learnings along with me. Listening to constituents and interest groups is my job, so being able to understand and listen freely to their thoughts and opinions is vital. Needless to say, I use MGA…as [an] example of how I conduct myself everywhere I go. I shine lights upon them to highlight my roots as a civil servant who worked with others to build bridges across divides.”