January 2016 Alumni Spotlight: Eric Woody

Eric Woody graduated from Wayne State University in 2013 with dual degrees in Political Science and Psychology, and has since moved on to work for Congresswoman Debbie Dingell asher Campaign and Political Director. Every day brings new challenges to Eric's job, but the main focus of his job is political and community outreach, fundraising, volunteer coordinating, and organizing events for Congresswoman Dingell. When asked what he likes most about his job, Eric said that he enjoyed working with the people in Michigan to help make a difference in our state.

Eric's interest in politics was sparked by the classes he took at Wayne State, and from the internships he was able to participate in while being a student here. Many courses at Wayne State allowed him to form a more complete worldview that helps him to work through the daily challenges he faces in his job. Eric also credits the communications skills he learned throughout his classes as important to his success as a campaign and political director.

Eric's advice to students that are interested in working for political campaigns and offices, is to get involved as early and often as possible. He believes that it is never too early to get involved, and that each volunteer, internship, or job opportunity can help lead to better opportunities in the future. Eric also advises students to do research on the candidates and officials they want to intern for, because it can make the internship more rewarding if a student supports the efforts of the person they are working for in the internship.

My BA in Political Science absolutely sparked my interests in politics. Without Wayne State's passionate teachers and the content they taught, I would probably not have taken this career path.

"I learned plenty of valuable skills from writing, speaking, and organizing throughout my years on campus. Moreover, the issues that the Student Senate and the general student body took, on issues such as funding for Higher Education and development of the campus, were also issues that really made me want to jump into politics."

Eric Woody