The Virginia Governor’s Fellows Program offers a select group of “outstanding and highly motivated individuals an opportunity to experience firsthand the administration of state government in the Commonwealth” according to the program website. The program invited foreign affairs major Finlay Lee ’24 to participate during the summer, providing an exciting opportunity for him to learn from experienced officials.
Finlay discovered the program through a friend working for the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security in the Office of the Governor. Interested in pursuing a career that will set him up to run for office one day, Finlay was eager to apply.
“I have always been interested in a career in service,” says Finlay. “It offers me another way to serve my community and facilitate positive change.” Finlay noted that his main interest within the field is policy because it will allow him to make meaningful changes in communities, states, and the nation as a whole.
Fellows interview for positions in various offices such as Agriculture and Forestry, Commerce and Trade, Education, Labor, and Transportation. The program attempts to place accepted applicants in positions in accordance with their desired interests. Having a passion for policy, Finlay was placed in the Office of Labor under Secretary Bryan Slater. In this position, Finlay’s primary duties include performing legal and policy research to inform the secretary’s decisions, drafting reports on the operations of other states’ labor offices and their subsidiary agencies, and drafting legal reports on other states’ labor and workforce development laws.
More than halfway through his fellowship, Finlay sees the experience as a glimpse into his future. “My assignments have been intriguing, challenging, and occasionally consequential,” says Finlay. “My experience in the Fellowship has been invaluable, and I believe it is preparing me to succeed in the future.”
The program is open to those attending an institution of higher education in Virginia and Virginia residents attending out-of-state institutions. The program runs from June 1 to July 28, and Fellows receive stipends of $3,600. Qualified applicants include rising college seniors, graduating seniors, and those enrolled as degree candidates in a graduate school who are committed to their studies, involved in extracurriculars and community service, and possess leadership abilities.
To learn more about the Virginia Governor’s Fellow Program, visit the Governor of Virginia website.
Official Photos by Christian Martinez, Office of Governor Glenn Youngkin