Alex Ramey

A Successful Semester Abroad Fosters a Love of Travel

Andrew J Schappert — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 14:54:26 +0000

A Successful Semester Abroad Fosters a Love of Travel Andrew J Schappert Tue, 12/12/2023 - 09:54

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Schar School junior Maggie Reier visited various cities, including Budapest, while studying at the University of Oxford.

Even before arriving at ��ӽ紫ý, Maggie Reier knew she wanted to study abroad for a semester. The Schar School of Policy and Government helped her achieve that goal.

A San Francisco Bay native, Reier wanted to be in the Washington, D.C., area for college—location was key for the current junior double majoring in government and international politics and integrative studies with a concentration in social justice and human rights. Following graduation, she plans to attend law school and study human rights law.

“I knew I wanted to be somewhere that would provide a lot of job and internship opportunities for what I wanted to do, and Mason just fit the bill,” she said. “Not to mention, the government degree was unique to Mason, and really appealed to me.”

As far as studying abroad, that notion was homegrown. Her father traveled extensively for work as a photographer and her mother and sister both studied abroad while in high school.

“I grew up hearing about their experiences and I wanted to experience traveling abroad for myself,” she said.

When the Global Education Office sent an email to students advertising a study abroad opportunity in Oxford, England, Reier immediately got in touch with her Schar School advisor to apply.

A semester at Mason is structured differently than a semester at the University of Oxford, according to Reier. Instead of the usual five classes a semester, she took two tutorials: The Politics of Human Rights and Comparative U.S. and U.K. Law.

“I am given readings and discussion questions, and sometimes an essay. Basically, I do the work over the course of the week, and when I meet with my tutor, we talk about what I read and/or wrote,” she said. “My tutors aren’t afraid to put me on the spot; that’s really helped to improve my ability to answer questions and recall the readings.”

Although the changes were an adjustment for Reier to make, she says that the differences improved her academic abilities.

“My writing has also gotten better in terms of speed and conciseness,” she said. “The learning system forces me to time manage more efficiently than I have before.”

She credits her Schar School classes for helping her to prepare for the content covered at Oxford.

“The Nonprofit Sector in the U.S. class was heavily research-based, so that was helpful in preparation for the amount of research I have to do in my tutorials,” she said. “Constitutional Interpretation gave me a foundation for my comparative law tutorial because the subject matter requires you to be thoughtful and analytical when looking at cases and decisions.”

Outside the classroom, Reier liked to travel across Europe with her peers. She spent a lot of time traversing the United Kingdom, specifically the city of London.

“There’s just so much to do, and I’ve barely scratched the surface,” she said.

Reier also visited Rome and the Vatican. Her favorite city to explore is Budapest.

“The city is so cool, and I wish we could’ve had more time there,” she said. “We went to St. Stephen’s Basilica and Heroes’ Square. We also saw Fisherman’s Bastion, a lookout point on the Buda side of the Danube. We spent a lot of time on the Pest side in the Jewish quarter and it was my personal favorite part of the trip.”

Reier encourages any student interested in studying abroad to take advantage of the opportunities that Mason offers and shares this advice: “It’s important to understand what your priorities are in terms of what you want to get out of your study-abroad experience. If travel is important, try to pick somewhere that’s accessible to other countries. Try to plan as much as possible—don’t be afraid to reach out to the GEO office to talk about their different programs. I found that meeting with someone to get more insight into the different programs was helpful in figuring out what program I wanted to do and when I wanted to do it. Once you’re abroad, just make the most of it. Take advantage of what’s near you and try to get out of your comfort zone.”

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From California to Capitol Hill: A Q&A with Schar School Student Matthew Glaubke

Andrew J Schappert — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 16:02:35 +0000

From California to Capitol Hill: A Q&A with Schar School Student Matthew Glaubke Andrew J Schappert Thu, 11/02/2023 - 12:02

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While at the Schar School, senior Matthew Glaubke interned with Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA).

This is part of the Schar School's student-to-student story series where undergraduates are interviewed and profiled by their peers.

At ��ӽ紫ý’s Schar School of Policy and Government, Matthew Glaubke turned his Capitol Hill dreams into reality.

A current senior and Thousand Oaks, California, native, Glaubke knew he wanted to pursue a degree in government and international politics. “I toured a number of other schools in California and Virginia, and Mason was the first place I felt comfortable and at home on campus,” he said. “In the end, it was the Schar School’s commitment to its students’ success and the helpfulness of the admissions staff that gave me full confidence in my decision.”

At the Schar School, Glaubke had the opportunity to intern on Capitol Hill. I asked him why he wanted to work on Capitol Hill, how he secured his internship, and what it entailed.

Why did you want to work on Capitol Hill?
I have always been interested in the policy process and how legislation can be used to improve lives. A job on the Hill would allow me to work in a number of different issue areas I care about.

How did you find your internship?
I found my Hill internship because Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) is my representative at home. I had previously worked for my city government and interned for California Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. This was something I had been working toward for years.

Matthew Glaubke: ‘I have always been interested in the policy process and how legislation can be used to improve lives.’

Did you use any Schar School resources to help you get your internship?
One resource I used was the class credit the Schar School offers for internships [Undergraduate Internship Program]. This allowed me to work 24 hours a week on the Hill while maintaining a 15-credit course load. This was extremely valuable to me because it allowed me to gain work experience while also maintaining my academic track.

Tell me about your time on the Hill? Who did you work for, what was your position, and your responsibilities?
I worked as an intern for Congresswoman Brownley in the fall semester of 2022. As a congressional intern, I was responsible for taking constituent calls and writing responses from the congresswoman, leading tours of the Capitol, sitting in on meetings with lobbyists, attending hearings, and writing memos.

What was the most valuable skill you learned while working on the Hill?
The most important thing I learned as an intern on the Hill is to always make yourself available to help. There are always people in the office who could use assistance with something, and if you’re not assigned anything, you should ask others. The staffers in the office will help you in your post-grad job search and are a fantastic resource for you. While I was a legislative intern, I worked with our communications staff frequently and was given the opportunity to work on things that some interns don’t get to, such as finding cosponsors for our bills. One of the bills was the Elizabeth Dole Home- and Community-Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act, to improve VA programs for aging veterans. The bill didn't pass while I was an intern, but it did pass the House Veterans Affairs Committee later. This was the must fulfilling responsibility I had during my time on the Hill and I'm grateful to have been trusted by our legislative staff.

What is your advice for current Schar School students who may want to work on the Hill? How can they get the most out of the experience?
Find (and work on) what you’re passionate about. This will be useful for a couple of reasons. First, it can help you find a representative or senator who works on issues you care about. Much of the legislation a representative drafts relates to the committees they serve on, and you want your work to line up with what you care about. Talk to everyone you can, make friends with other interns, and keep connected with the people you meet after your internship.