Nick Madaj
Bay City Central High School
Intern, Office of Michigan State Representative Jeff Mayes
SVSU student Nick Madaj of Bay City knew since grade school that he wanted to study political science and be involved in government.
When classes resume next semester, Nick will be that much closer to potentially running for office himself. He just completed a prestigious summer study program at Michigan State University called, “Tomorrow’s Political Leaders.” The program is an intensive workshop that gives students exposure to two things: how to run an effective political campaign; and a simulation of the day-to-day responsibilities of an elected official.
“The experience was fantastic. We gained hands-on experience with all aspects of being a politician, such as how to develop an effective message for a campaign, and we also balanced a sample state budget and all of the student legislators learned how to negotiate their own portions of it. We also had the opportunity to write a policy brief and introduce a corresponding bill, which we then debated in the same fashion the state legislature does.”
All of these duties were not completely unfamiliar to Nick, because he also serves as a Representative on SVSU’s Student Association, the organization responsible for student government, where he sits on the Legislative Committee and the Allocations Committee.
The Allocations Committee handles all of the money that is available to student organizations and individuals that organize campus events or participate in development and personal enrichment programs outside of SVSU. The Student Association will generally reimburse individual students or student organizations for 50% of the cost of such expenses.
In addition, Nick is preparing to take the LSAT test, the admissions test required to attend law school.
But even in regard to such a high-pressure test, Nick feels that SVSU has gone above and beyond to prepare him.
“Professor Lane organized a trip for students to a conference of law schools, which was designed to prepare students who are considering applying. The program consisted of panels, video sessions, and a practical “Intro to Law School” presentation. Now I feel confident – the conference familiarized me with the entire process.”
“The emphasis on how to develop and use critical thinking skills is the most important thing about SVSU’s Political Science program,” Nick explained. “In addition, the course content thoroughly covers the workings of various governments and the theories behind them.”
Overall, Nick describes the SVSU’s Political Science faculty as, “Easy to get to know, helpful, and easy to talk to outside of class.”