Sarah Massey ('08)

Majors: Political Science 

Current job:
Senior Director of Communications, North America at The ONE Campaign

Previous professional experience: 
Served as Vice President of Media at Edelman, Director of Media Relations for House Speakers Paul Ryan and John Boehner, and Communications Director & Press Secretary at the House Ways and Means Committee. 

In what ways did the JMU Political Science Department prepare you for your career?
Outside of the deeper education on the history and principles around governing and policy, a lot of the courses emphasized learning presentation skills, working collaboratively on projects, applying critical thinking, defending and debating your ideas in a constructive way, pressing you to think outside the box. All skills that are highly required when taking Political Science from theory to practice. 

Highlights of your JMU experience
The biggest highlight was the people I met and the friendships I made. JMU was a wonderful experience and you could make of it what you wanted to; I only regret not trying to explore more courses, clubs, opportunities around campus. In terms of courses, my political campaigns class and political communications courses were my most exciting. They were taken in my senior year and sparked my desire to continue in this direction. 

Advice to students who are studying Political Science, International Affairs, or Public Administration at JMU
Don't stress too much about where your careet might start or end, think about how you can get as much diverse experience and education within or outside the program that can help shape what your first step may be. Create relationships with the people in your classes, learn about their experiences, how their background shapes how they view these fields. Also, use internships to get as much exposure to how this education and skills apply in a professional space - NGOs, associations, federal or local government, public relations. You'll build an incredible portfolio of skills, mentoring, and hopefully create long-term relationships that can help personally and professionally in the future.