Summary
My name is Ben Murphy. I am a current undergraduate student at George Mason University majoring in international politics with a concentration in International Relations. I am currently involved with the Global Politics Fellows Program and am completing this spring an internship with Democracy onAir.
I am interning with Democracy onAir because I want to get the experience of working for a non-profit involved in the government. I also believe Democracy onAir is an exciting opportunity because it allows me to work on many different tasks to see what I enjoy and may end up doing in the future.
OnAir Post: Ben Murphy
News
I think the best way to improve our democracy is to start getting people to understand what is in their best interest. I believe for a democracy to function properly It is essential that the voting population have a good understanding on what is important to them and what their interest are.
My hope is that we can one day have a government that the people can have faith in, that fully represents the peoples will. If we can accomplish that goal, I think we will end up with a more representative and better functioning democracy for all.
Democracy matters to me because I believe the fundamental premise that allows for the most people to be happy is self-determination. The most important thing for me is the freedom to make decisions regarding my future, how I express myself, or even who I associate with.
Democracy allows us the people to take control of our lives starting from the local level all they way up to the federal level to make decisions that can not only help ourselves but likewise help other people in the country. I think that while no form of government is perfect democracy offers us the most equalizing of platforms that puts everyone on similar standing so that we can express our beliefs and lobby for what we believe in on equal ground.
About
Education
George Mason, Schar School of Policy and Government
Bachelor of Arts Majoring In: Government and International Politics Graduation Expected May 2022
Overall GPA: 3.92
Work Experience
Panera Bread – Burke, VA (September, 2017- February, 2018)
Associate
- Created a welcoming environment for customers
- Practiced efficient cleaning and closing techniques
- Worked alongside co-workers to efficiently handle customer complaints
Domino’s Pizza- Burke, VA (November, 2016- July, 2017)
Customer Service Representative
- Handled cash register transactions upwards of $2,000 a day
- Identified and resolved customer complaints
- Demonstrated effective safety expertise throughout the store
Extracurricular Activities
GMU Debate Team, Member (January, 2020-August, 2020)
- Leant initial debate techniques including speech patterns
- Worked on proper research methods to solidify debate positions
GMU Undergraduate Research Assistant Program, Researcher (January, 2021- May, 2021)
- Recoding of Data from PDF forms to searchable Excel documents
- Experience in Data collection from .gov websites
- Recoding data from databases to searchable excel documents
- Experience researching relevant databases for future use
Skills
- Proficient in Spanish
- Comprehensive Internet research skills
- Extensive knowledge of Microsoft Excel
- Experience with STATA
- Proficient in Microsoft Office
My Major
I am majoring in Government and International Politics because influencing change has always been something I have been interested in, and I figured the best way to work in or around the government was completing this degree. I have found through my time in school the portion of government I am most interested in is the legal framework and to a lesser degree the political theory behind many of our institutions.
My Professional Goals
After I graduate I am interested in attending law school and going to work in the legal field, I also have interests in government and the sectors around it like non-profits, think tanks, or the government itself. On a less serious note I think going to culinary school would be really cool, I don’t have any aspirations of becoming a chef or anything but I think the knowledge would be valuable regardless.
Politics
Source: none
