Up on the Hill

A knock on the current generation is that they just won’t get involved in politics.

Don’t count FMU’s Garrett Swanson in that crowd.

The political science major from North Myrtle Beach, SC, is pondering a career in government work and has spent time the last year working for South Carolina Senator Tim Scott.

Swanson spent last fall in Washington, D.C. as an intern in the office of Senator Tim Scott.

Opportunities like that are a regular part of the experiential education plan at FMU and figure to be a great resume point for Swanson. It also helped him better understand how law, government, and foreign policy correlate to each other.

“Having the opportunity to intern in Senator Scott’s office was truly a life-changing experience,” said Swanson. “I knew it would be impactful, but it solidified what I feel is truly a calling on my life – working in public service to make a difference in the world.”

Swanson says he’d like to work in the intelligence field — at the CIA, the Secret Service, or the Department of Defense.

Swanson credits the engaging faculty, the FMU Career Center, and faculty members like Dr. David White, professor of Political Science, and Dr. Jon Tuttle, professor of English and director of the Honors Program, with pushing him to go after his dreams.

His own energy deserves some credit, too.

Swanson is involved in a lot of campus activities at FMU. He’s a member of FMU Honors, serves as the Community Service Chair for the FMU chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success, and is a senator on the Intramural Council where he plays soccer, volleyball, and kickball.