The Helms School of Government sponsored multiple day trips to our nation’s capital this spring where students visited embassies, met members of Congress, and heard from leading voices on societal issues.
In March, the Heritage Foundation welcomed students for a series of speakers who outlined two major religious liberty Supreme Court cases (Groff v. Dejoy and 303 Creative v. Elenis).
In a partnership with Hampton University and Liberty’s School of Business, government students met at the Washington Symposium in April. Several congressmen participated, including Reps. Scott Perry (Pa.), Bobby Scott (Va.), Gary Palmer (Ala.), Andy Biggs (Ariz.), Bob Good (Va.), and Morgan Griffith (Va.).
Later in April, students visited both the Chinese and Polish embassies to hear from top officials about their cultural differences, current events affecting both countries, and career advice for aspiring diplomats. Students asked questions of their hosts, gaining more insight about the countries and the officials’ responsibilities at the embassies. This was Liberty’s second visit to the Chinese embassy; a group first visited in November. Past trips have included the Israeli, Swedish, and Russian embassies.
“Anyone can read a book or take notes during a lecture, but being able to gain insight from individuals who actually do this in the real world is invaluable and sets us in the School of Government apart from others at schools who don’t have opportunities like this,” said Grace Phillipps, a public policy graduate student who went on the March trip. “Experiences like these are the reason I came to college.”
