Messiah College: Department of Politics

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Welcome to the alumni page! 72% of our alumni are employed in the major-relevant fields of Law, For-Profit and Non-Profit, Education, and Government.

Learn about the many opportunities and career paths available to our majors, through the stories of some of our alumni. We have arranged this list by each different employment sectors and career paths. See our resource page for a full description of what you can do with a Politics major.

Nate Cushman (Politics, 2005)

Nate Cushman

Nate Cushman is currently in his final year of a four-year dual degree program at Georgetown University. He anticipates graduating in May of 2010 with a Juris Doctor and Masters in Public Policy. After graduation, Nate will join the law firm of Nixon Peabody, LLP as an associate in their Washington, DC office, where he worked during the summer of 2009. Nate is currently a Notes and Comments editor on *The Tax Lawyer*, an ABA-sponsored law journal at Georgetown; his Comment on IRS Notice 2008-83 was published in the Spring 2009 issue. Last year, Nate participated in the Harrison Institute's Housing and Community Development Clinic as a clinical legal intern. Nate's prior experience includes work for Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future (SAHF), as well as internships for the majority staff of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Development and the ACLU of Maryland.

Amber Jackson (Politics, 2008)

Amber Jackson graduated from Messiah in December 2008 and started law school in the fall of 2009. A second year law student at the University Of Pittsburgh School Of Law in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Amber serves as the 2010-2011 Vice President of Pitt Law’s Black Law Students Association. In May 2010, Amber became a summer associate at Horty Springer, & Mattern , one of the nation’s leading health law firms. During her time at Horty Springer she has worked on a variety of health law issues spanning state federal law. She continues to work at Horty Springer during the school year. In addition to her studies, Amber, in the fall of 2010, became an extern with the Honorable Judge Cheryl Allen of the Pennsylvania Superior Court. As an extern, she assisted in writing judicial opinions on appeals cases. Since completing a year and a half of law school Amber (while under a licensed attorney) can now be certified to represent clients and stand before the court. Amber will be graduating from Pitt Law in 2012.

Brian Field (Politics, 2004)

Brian Field is a member of the law firm Bancroft Associates in Washington, D.C., specializing in corporate and national security law. Brian has also served as Special Assistant to the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) where his work focused on developing legislative strategy for the defense budget. Prior to his work at the Defense Department, Brian worked as a Fellow in Counterterrorism and Homeland Security with the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy. While at the Institute, he wrote several advisory memoranda for the Department of Defense Office of Military Commissions, U.S. Coast Guard, and the Iraqi High Tribunal. He also advised members of Congress and their staff on matters related to counterterrorism legislation.

Tony Holtzman (Politics, 2002)

Tony Holtzman is a lawyer at K&L Gates, which has offices in more than 35 cities on three continents. Tony's practice concentrates on appellate, constitutional, and governmental litigation and Internet gaming. Many of the matters that he works on involve issues of federal or state constitutional law or issues of statutory or regulatory construction. Tony also advises clients, including international companies, with regard to U.S. law that applies to Internet gaming activities.

Jon Ellison (Politics and Spanish, 1998)

Jon Ellison worked for Habitat for Humanity in Miami and the International Foundation for Election Systems in Washington, D.C. before studying law. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2004 Jon practiced corporate law for several years at Dewey & LeBoeuf LLP in New York City and in Dubai. During this time Jon represented institutional clients creating and investing in private equity funds and he also served a fellowship with the Lawyers Alliance for New York, a pro bono organization that provides free corporate legal services to nonprofit groups assisting low-income communities in New York City. He currently works for United Nations agencies and other international development organizations in places like Papua New Guinea and Indonesia as a legal consultant with the Columbia Group for Children in Adversity.

Stephen Morgan (Politics, 2000)

Stephen Morgan is an attorney with the law firm Salerno & Associates in Los Angeles, specializing in white collar and military defense. Prior to joining the firm, Stephen served as a prosecutor and detention operations attorney for a military police brigade in Iraq. He continues to serve as a Captain in the Army JAG Corps (Reserve). Prior to earning his J.D./M.B.A. from the University of Hawai'i in 2005, Stephen served as Deputy Executive Director for Honolulu Habitat for Humanity.

Brooke (Doman) Say (Politics, 2002)

Brooke Say Brooke E. D. Say is a member of the law firm of Stock and Leader, LLP, in York, PA. Brooke’s areas of practice include school law and labor and employment law. She is admitted to practice in all Pennsylvania Courts as well as the United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where she represents her clients in education and employment related federal litigation. Brooke counsels public and private employers on a variety of issues, particularly on compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act and Family Medical Leave Act. In addition, she has developed expertise in advising school districts on special education, discipline, and labors matters, as well as their compliance with Pennsylvania’s new Right to Know Law.

Brooke E.D. Say, Esquire
Stock and Leader
Susquehanna Commerce Center East
Suite E600
221 West Philadelphia Street
York, PA 17401-2994
Telephone: (717) 849-4145 / Fax: (717) 843-6134
E-Mail: bsay@stockandleader.com

Website: www.stockandleader.com

Diana (Swisher) Burckhart (Politics, 2007)

After graduating from Messiah, Diana took a position with a Harrisburg based economic development and planning firm working in the areas of federal and state public funding and government relations. Diana is currently the Pennsylvania Government Relations Representative for Aqua America, Inc., a suburban Philadelphia based water company with operations in 13 states. At Aqua, Diana monitors and influences legislation in Harrisburg, serves as the treasurer of the company's employee funded political action committee and assists in political fundraising efforts.

Contact Diana at: dsburckhart@gmail.com

Melissa Bell (Politics, 2004)

Melissa Bell

Melissa Bell works in London, England as an international technology consultant for Deloitte, Touche, Tohmatsu. After graduating from Messiah she completed her Masters in International Relations at the London School of Economics where she specialized in security studies. Subsequently, Melissa entered the Peace Corps and was stationed in the Ukraine. Assigned to Sumy, in the northern Russian speaking region of the country, she taught English, assisted local NGOs with long-term planning and capacity building, and worked with local leaders to promote civil society education and civic participation among young people. Perhaps her most fulfilling and ambitious project was a city-wide HIV-AIDs education and awareness program, whereby Melissa developed the curriculum for secondary school students and trained hundreds of teachers to implement the lesson plans.

Valerie Ong (Politics, 2007)

Upon her graduation, Valerie Ong spent a year working in the Mennonite Central Committee's (MCC) Washington office as a Legislative Fellow for domestic and international affairs. In May 2009, she completed her Master's Degree from the University of Pennsylvania and returned to her home country, Malaysia. Currently, Valerie is working at a local university's Women's Development and Research Centre on a project concerning domestic violence against women.

Kara Skarda (Politics, 2009)

As a very active and passionate undergraduate student, Kara participated in two international experiences while at Messiah College. Kara took these same qualities with her after graduation, as she relocated to America's southlands. In spring 2009, Kara accepted a position with Teach for America corps. She currently resides in Louisiana and works as a special education teacher for students in the fourth through sixth grade at Rosenwald Elementary School. In August 2011 she will be moving to the Thai-Burmese border in August to live among the Shan minority (victims of the Burmese regime) and teach English. She'll be volunteering through Partners Relief and Development.

Jason Chiodi (Politics, 1997)

Jason Chiodi

Jason Chiodi is a career member of the U.S. Foreign Service currently serving as Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Jason’s prior overseas posts have included Haiti, Luxembourg, and Mali. In Washington, Jason served as the economic officer in the Office of Cuban Affairs. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Jason continues to serve in the Reserves and in January 2010 was deployed in support of the military's humanitarian response to the earthquake in Haiti. Prior to joining the Foreign Service, Jason worked as a military analyst in the Strategic Assessment Center of SAIC. In addition to his degree in political science from Messiah, Jason earned a master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

Rebecca Gambler (Politics, 1999)

Rebecca Gambler was a Fullbright Fellow to Canada from 1999-2000, and she completed her Master’s in Political Science from the University of Toronto. In 2001, she received a Master’s in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. Since 2002, Rebecca has worked in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, nonpartisan agency that works for Congress, investigating how the federal government spends taxpayer dollars. She serves as an assistant director in the agency’s Homeland Security and Justice team.

Laura (Steward) Grosso

(Politics and Spanish, 2007)

In her senior year at Messiah, Laura Steward had the opportunity to work as an intern in the Pennsylvania Governor's Office of Legislative Affairs. After graduation, she was offered a job in the Governor's Office of Policy, where she now works as the assistant to the Secretary of Policy and Planning. In that capacity Laura provides administrative support for the Secretary and collaborates with Policy Office staff and executive agencies on projects related to Governor Rendell's policy initiatives.

Contact Laura at: lksteward@gmail.com

George Noll (Political Science, 1993)

George Noll works for the Department of State where he is posted at the U.S. Embassy in Oslo, Norway. He is a deputy in the political and economic section of the embassy. His specific responsibilities include working with Norway on Middle Eastern issues, facilitating military cooperation including that pertaining to NATO and the deployment of Norwegian troops in Afghanistan, following Norwegian domestic politics, understanding Norway’s policies toward Russia, and working to improve cooperation with Norway on counter-terrorism. George has also worked at the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul, the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, and on the Russia desk at the State Department in Washington. Beginning the summer of 2009, George will be in Russian language training in preparation for a two year assignment to Moscow, where he will be responsible for energy issues, focusing on Russia’s oil and gas sectors.

Dorothy Miller (Politics, 2004)

Currently, Dorothy is pursuing both a J.D. and a Masters of Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In addition, she manages a PEPFAR-funded Emergency Pediatric Medical Exchange between the UW Hospital and Clinics and Addis-Ababa University in Ethiopia. She also works as a health law Research Assistant, studying key regulatory and legal reforms implemented through the PPACA, as well as the role of psychotropic medications for children in the foster care system. After graduating from Messiah in 2004, Dorothy worked in a number of advocacy, anti-corruption and human rights positions. She worked throughout Asia on U.S. government efforts encouraging free and fair elections, as well as promoting anti-corruption initiatives. From 2007-2008, Dorothy was an Asia Pacific Leadership Program Fellow at the East-West Center, located in Honolulu, Hawaii, where she focused her work on transnational solutions to challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region. Previously, Dorothy also worked as an international trade consultant for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, as an advocate for prisoners in the Wisconsin state prison system and for a public interest health advocacy law firm.

Contact Dorothy at: damiller4@wisc.edu

Jeff Reczek (Politics, 2007)

Jeff Reczek works as a program examiner on health issues for the President's Office of Management and Budget in Washington D.C. After graduating from Messiah, Jeff became special assistant to the Governor of Virgina, Timothy Kaine in Constituent Services. Shortly after, Jeff pursued a Masters in Public Administration at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University where he focused on social policy and public management. In 2009, Jeff became a Presidential Management Fellow and began working in the office of budget and policy at the Department of Transportation where he focused on national policies encouraging communities to provide citizens with convenient access to public transportation, housing, employment, and other community services.

Contact Jeff at Jeff.Reczek@gmail.com

Scott Stedjan (Politics, 2001)

Scott Stedjan attended the London School of Economics to study international human rights. He moved to Washington, D.C. to work as a peace movement lobbyist working on conflict prevention and arms control for the Friends Committee on National Legislation. Scott now works as a senior policy advisor for Oxfam America, advocating for effective US responses to global humanitarian crises. He concentrates on the Darfur region of Sudan and Eastern Chad as well as building US and global institutions that support the protection of civilians in conflict globally.

Ben Stoltzfoos (Politics, 2007)

After graduation, Ben Stoltzfoos took a job as a legislative assistant in the Washington office of Congressman Joe Pitts (R-PA), his home district’s representative. In that capacity, Ben monitors legislation pertaining to agriculture, housing, financial services, education, and transportation. In addition, in the fall of 2008 Ben enrolled in a 3-year Masters of Business Administration program at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.

Students are welcome to contact Ben at ben.stoltzfoos@mail.house.gov or by calling Congressman Pitt's office at 202-225-2411 and asking for Ben Stoltzfoos.

Amanda McMillan (Politics, 2008)

As of August 2011, Amanda McMillan is studying in UW-Madison’s Community and Environmental Sociology combined MS/PhD graduate program. After graduating from Messiah in 2008, Amanda served in France as the executive assistant to Peter Harris, founder and president of A Rocha. A Rocha is an international, Christian, environmental organization emphasizing community-based conservation projects, scientific research, and environmental education. From 2009 to 2011, Amanda worked as an administrator at AECOM Technical Services, an environmental engineering contractor in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, providing invoicing, logistical, and front-desk support. Amanda is currently pursuing a MS/PhD program in Community and Environmental Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Jason Miller (Politics and Economics, 2009)

Jason Miller is the finance coordinator at an international non-profit organization called Rare Conservation, located in Arlington, Virginia. The mission of Rare is to conserve imperiled species and ecosystems around the world by partnering with local organizations in an effort to inspire people to care about and protect nature. Conservation efforts are principally located in developing countries and implemented through education and social marketing campaigns. Jason manages Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable and assists in the development of the organization-wide budget. In addition to his finance responsibilities, Jason plays a key role in organization-wide strategy development and implementation, primarily through the Balanced Scorecard tool. Jason also plays a role in the establishment of legal entities in the countries where Rare works. In addition to his full-time job, Jason is pursuing a Masters degree in International Commerce and Policy at George Mason University.

Jamie (Davies) O'Leary (Politics, 2005)

Jamie Davies

Jamie Davies O'Leary graduated from Messiah in 2005 and joined the Teach For Americaprogram in Camden, New Jersey, where she taught kindergarten for two years. Working in one of the nation's lowest performing districts (and poorest cities) opened her eyes to broader policy and political problems affecting public education, and so she decided to enroll in a Masters of Public Affairs (MPA) program at Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School. There she studied domestic policy with a focus on urban issues, was selected as an Education Pioneers fellow and created a teacher recruitment strategy for a New York City-based group of public charter schools, and passed her final qualifying policy exams with distinction. Upon graduation in 2009 she returned to her home state of Ohio and joined the Thomas B. Fordham Institute's Columbus, Ohio office as a Policy & Research Analyst and is now Senior Policy Analyst & Associate Editor. Fordham is a non-profit think tank (based in DC and Ohio) that does research, policy, and advocacy work to improve K-12 education. In her role, Jamie advocates for policy changes to improve public education through writing articles, op-eds, participating in research projects, planning policy events for education leaders and lawmakers, and contributing to Fordham's work as an authorizer of public charter schools across the state. She lives in Columbus with her husband and two cats.

Contact Jamie at: jdavies211@gmail.com

Elizabeth Poulin (Politics, 2010)

Upon graduation, Liz Poulin accepted a position as Dominican Republic Liaison for HOPEInternational, a Christian non-profit organization focused on alleviating physical and spiritual poverty through microenterprise development. Serving in Santo Domingo, Liz coordinated logistics for HOPE Trips to the DR and Haiti. Her responsibilities included introducing international visitors to Dominican microfinance and culture, acting as transalator to visiting donors, and gathering client profiles from active microfinance associates. Prior to graduation, Liz interned for HOPE International in Lancaster, PA. In September 2011, Liz began serving in her new role with HOPE International’s Development Team, as the regional development assistant, supporting the Development Team in Boston and working closely with HOPE supporters and donors.

Megan Wolf (Politics, 2007)

After graduating from the Politics Department in 2007, Megan Wolf successfully served a two-year term with the Peace Corps, working in Southern Thailand. She lived in a small Muslim fishing village on the Andaman Sea, working with English teachers and students at two local elementary schools. After returning from the Peace Corps, Megan traveled back to Thailand with a youth adventure organization, Where There Be Dragons, leading U.S. high school students on a language and cultural immersion trip. As of May 2011, Megan, who currently resides in Washington, DC, works for the Office of the U.S. Global
AIDS Coordinator, under the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief division of the State Department.

Contact her at: meganwolf1@gmail.com