Leading from a Place of Purpose
Campus SGA president’s name may be coming to a ballot near you
The 2016 election cycle left an indelible impression on a young Matthew Brodsky. “I knew I really wanted to get involved in politics and policy and create change,” Brodsky recalled. “It just happened. I mean, I went through a bunch of other phases growing up—dinosaurs. Baseball is something I still love. But politics has always just stuck. And I knew that's where I was meant to be.”
Brodsky, now a senior political science major at Rutgers University in Camden, has never wavered from that political pursuit. With a congressional internship on his résumé and future plans that include public office, Brodsky serves as Student Governing Association (SGA) president, advocating for student organizations and civic engagement, particularly around voter registration.
A College of Arts and Sciences student, Brodsky is the student lead of the RUC Votes, a nonpartisan group whose goal is to increase campus voter engagement and education. Last year, the coalition helped Rutgers–Camden win the state’s Ballot Bowl, a competition among New Jersey colleges and universities to register the most voters and secure the most pledges to vote.
The RUC Votes Coalition project stemmed from Brodsky’s work as a Bonner Civic Scholar, which prepares students for public service leadership through community-based partnerships. The program, which includes 300 hours of service per year, is “just a really rewarding opportunity,” said Brodsky; he credits that work with preparing him for acceptance into the Rutgers-Eagleton Washington Internship Award Program.
“I would always tell my parents it's not a matter of if I go to D.C., it's just a matter of when, because I love the city,” Brodsky said.
“I visited my sophomore year of high school with my family and said I need to work here at some point. The trouble was finding financial support to do the internship because D.C. is expensive.” The Eagleton award covered expenses for Brodsky to intern for Congressman Greg Casar of Texas last summer. Working on constituent and policy-related issues within the House of Representatives felt surreal for Brodsky.
The US Capitol building, Washington, D.C.
The US Capitol building, Washington, D.C.
“Just being there on the Hill, you run into people you only see on C-SPAN or CNN. Now these people are real. And you get to see some of the drama that might happen on the Hill,” he explained. “But I loved it. I like to be able to work in environments that are constantly changing, kind of fast, because I like to be on my toes. And it makes you feel like you’re a part of something when things are constantly happening. I like that feeling.”
As SGA president, Brodsky said his role (and the organization’s) is to serve as an advocate when students have concerns. “We meet with key players at the university to actually make something happen or make improvements to something that we believe just isn’t working in the best possible way for students here,” Brodsky said. He is committed to supporting student organizations; “I want to give them the ability to express their creativity and do amazing events,” he said. The SGA is also seeking to increase student access to graduate test prep programs, including the GRE and GMAT, as well as on-campus programs that prepare students for graduate school.
Brodsky is considering enrolling in a public policy or public affairs master’s program after he graduates this spring. He eventually sees himself running for public office; to serve has been “a dream of mine for as long as I can remember,” he added. He explained his long-term career goal:
“I just want to be someone who can help enact meaningful legislation that can change people’s lives for the better. It sounds so clichéd. But to me, if I look back on my life when I’m 60 or 70 and I feel like I haven’t benefited a group of people—or just one person—in some way, I won’t feel like I’ve done enough in my life. I just need to do that; it’s a must for me.”
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