USCA alumni mentor fellow political science students

Faculty at USCA bring real-world perspectives to their classrooms, giving students a peek at what life after graduation looks like. 

Dr. Sarah Young’s political science classes breathe life into USCA’s mission: prepping students to become engaged citizens and active leaders and influencers who make lifelong contributions in their communities. To do that, she often invites USCA political science alumni back to the campus as guest lecturers who engage students in thought-provoking discussions, offering differing perspectives on assigned readings and sharing how theoretical concepts translate in the real world.

“Given that I teach public administration, which is a more applied sub-field in political science, direct exposure to the working experience of public servants is essential to teaching the subject,” she said. “I want the students in my public administration classes to understand first-hand from public service practitioners how the world of government employment works. 

“Part of this is understanding the ethical, regulatory, and political context of their future workplaces. Bringing in skilled professionals, who were also recent alums of our program, is a good way to show students that careers in public administration are obtainable. It also gives them insight into the actual behavior of workers in organizations and the administrative constraints within which career public servants work.”

Alumni who met with students taking introduction to public administration and introduction to political science this academic year included Tenesha Hare, USCA ’18, NAACP program manager for policy and legislative affairs; Bailey McKie, USCA ’22, staff assistant for Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC); Jacob Nelson, USCA ’18, Aiken County Parks and Recreation parks division manager; and Nathan Garner, USCA ’23, precinct coordinator for the Aiken County Board of Voter Registration and Elections Office. 

“Some of the most important lessons to me were the importance of ethics in public administration,” said Ben Weeks, USCA ’26, who is majoring in sociology with a political science minor. “The speakers did not focus on pay or compensation rewards of their jobs. What I heard about the most was the importance of professionalism. This inspired me to think more about the intrinsic rewards of public service, the importance of helping others in institutions that directly impact citizens and residents.”

In addition to giving students insight into careers in public administration, the poli-sci alums shared their thoughts on course readings, including a study authored by Steven Maynard-Moody and Michael Musheno which explains how public servants are either “state agents” or “citizen agents.”

“I wanted to get a first-hand account of how our alums identified themselves as public servants to link back to this,” Young said. “Our alumni offered a very nice contrast on that. Some said they were more of a citizen agent, and others identified as more of a state agent, ensuring governmental rules and regulations were followed, but at times acted in a more citizen-agent way when dealing courteously with citizens. I loved the contrast they provided on that topic.”  

Students say the visitors’ perspectives were insightful and helped prepare them for their professional, post-graduation plans.

“The discussion has reaffirmed my desire to go into public administration. I really appreciated the speakers’ discussion on the impact of their public service in our community,” said Preston Gillespie, USCA ’26, who is double majoring in political science and Spanish.

“While I plan to go to law school after my undergraduate degree, public administration will no doubt play a role in my future,” said Aubrey Smith, USCA ’28, who is majoring in political science. “Learning how to plan a program and interact with the public will help me be a better legal advocate. Some helpful lessons from this talk are that public administration work involves constant learning, political neutrality is very important, and the federalist structure of our government impacts public service objectives.”

In addition to applications of theoretical concepts discussed in class, USCA alumni shared how their own campus experiences prepared them for the workforce. 

“Public administration is where the rubber meets the road and theoretical concepts are put to the test,” said Nelson. “A robust humanities and social sciences department is so critical. All the classes I took have had some impact on my career.”

Garner agreed.

“The fundamentals you get at USCA genuinely help when in public service, especially knowing how different policies impact people,” he said.

USCA offers relevant curricula, small class sizes, leadership opportunities, involvement in student life, access to quality faculty, affordability, impactful internships and a priority of a student-centered 

While the university saw a historic 5 percent increase in enrollment in the fall, the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences has experienced significant growth in the number of applications received. In the fall, the college saw an average 67 percent increase in applications. The political science program received an extraordinary number of applications, which is up 350 percent. 

The College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences offers undergraduate programs in communication and emerging media; English; languages, literatures and cultures; history, political science and philosophy; sociology; and visual and performing arts. In addition, students can select a variety of academic minors and workforce certificates.

The curriculum includes engaging experiences that enhance classroom learning. These include internships, undergraduate research opportunities — many of which are funded through grants — and study abroad courses. For example, during the spring, professors will lead students through study opportunities in Spain, Scotland and Japan. And students can submit their original works to “Broken Ink” for publication.

Go Back More News