Delving into policy

The Virginia General Assembly Building and Capitol have been a beehive of activity since the General Assembly convened on Jan. 8 for its six-and-a-half-week session. Offices, hallways, committee rooms, and lunchrooms overflow with legislators, lobbyists, aides, and citizens making their cases for or against proposed legislation. Senior Jackson Sandler-Bussey, a legislative intern in the office of Virginia Sen. Jennifer Boysko, D-Fairfax, has been in the thick of things. And he loves it.

“I’m learning a great deal about the day-to-day workings of a legislative body,” said Sandler-Bussey, who secured his internship through University of Richmond’s Virginia General Assembly Internship Program. “Everyone is running around trying to pass a year’s worth of legislation in 45 days. Being able to see how government functions in such a fast-paced environment has helped me put into context what I’ve learned in the classroom.”

Learning about group dynamics in his leadership studies major has been particularly helpful, he said: “I see the in-group dynamics, a sense of shared identity, in the relationships senators have with their constituents. The epitome of leadership is a senator stepping up to the podium to represent a group of people whose interests are very dear to them.”

Although his legislative internship affirmed his desire to work in the public sector, Sandler-Bussey, who is also majoring in global studies, said he plans to focus on international rather than domestic policy. To that end, he participated in three study-abroad programs: a 2022 summer program in Seville, Spain, a 2023 spring-semester program in Mannheim, Germany, and a 2023 summer program in Berlin.

“I gained so much from the cultural immersion,” he said. “I took courses in history, culture, and current events in Spain and then Germany. Taught by professors and surrounded by students who live in those countries, I learned through both formal and informal conversations. I can’t gush enough about study abroad!”

Upon his return to campus, Sandler-Bussey became the inaugural editor-in-chief of Araneum: Richmond Journal of American and Global Affairs. The journal gives University of Richmond undergraduates a platform to publish their peer-reviewed scholarship on domestic and international politics.

“The student editorial board sends out a call for submissions and peer reviewers every semester,” he said. “We evaluate writing samples when choosing peer reviewers. Three peer reviewers read each article submitted. Less than 20 percent of submissions were published in the inaugural issue. This journal is a place for students to showcase the amazing scholarly work they’ve done and to contribute to the greater discourse. The publication of the journal’s first issue in spring 2024 was one of the most amazing experiences of my life.”

Now Sandler-Bussey, who recently became president of Richmond’s newly formed global studies honor society chapter, is working on his own scholarship. He is conducting an independent study of the rise of the radical right in the European Union, with leadership studies professor Guzel Garifullina serving as his faculty mentor.

“I want to understand how radical right elements operate and why they are gaining tremendously in popularity,” he said. “Europe’s future rests on the future of the European Union, and the radical right elements will play a big role in that future.”  

Turning to his own future, Sandler-Bussey said he will likely pursue a master’s in international relations or public policy.

“For as long as I can remember, I’ve been extremely interested in international affairs — how countries have come together on the global stage post World War II to try to talk and figure out their problems. I want to do something where I know I’m making a tangible difference, where I can hear people’s concerns and then do something about it.”