Ben Jarrad Video Transcript
[Interviewer]
Welcome to the University of North Georgia Political Science & International Affairs Department's Youtube channel. In this segment of our “Meet our Alumni” series, you'll have the opportunity to meet the class of class of 2013 Political Science major Ben Jarrard. Ben is a member of our department’s Advisory Board, but we are chatting with him today for a different reason -- namely because the ǧÃŬAV Alumni Association's Young Alumni Board recently named him to this year's 20 under 40 class. We'll get more details on that in a bit. But first, let's meet Ben.
[Ben]
Good morning and thank you very much. I'm glad to be here talking with you and look forward to the conversation.
[Interviewer]
To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who is Ben Jarrard?
[Ben]
Sure. So, I am a son of a military officer, so grew up in a lot of different places in my youth, but I ended up graduating from high school at Lumpkin County High School here in Dahlonega, so local to the university. I spent my time there, 4.5 years, graduated with the Political Science degree, a minor in Mandarin Chinese. I also played golf at the University on the Division II golf team. I was a cadet. I did one year in SGA, and I did join a fraternity. I think after my one year in SGA, I realized I was stretching myself a little thin, being a cadet, and also on the golf team, and I did have a job too, throughout most of college. I was pretty busy.
Once I graduated with that degree, I had spent, I had the opportunity to intern in both former Governor Deal's office in his policy shop, and I also had the opportunity to intern for State Senator Steve Gooch from Dahlonega during the legislative session. I think that was 2012 when I did that. When I graduated I was offered the opportunity to come back and work on Governor Deal's reelection campaign. He was running for reelection for Governor in 2014. He won that election, spent about three years in his office, and then left his office near the end of his second term. He would have been termed out.
To go back to my Alma Mater at the University of North Georgia, they were opening a new government relations shop, and so I was able to do state, local government relations and then took on economic development, workforce development, worked there. Spent about five years at the university, and then State Senator Steve Gooch, who I had worked for in College years prior, was elected majority leader of the State Senate, and in that role he gets to bring on a Chief of Staff. I was fortunate enough to be hired into that role last December.
So I've now been here about a year. It's been fantastic to work for Senator Gooch. He’s a double ǧÃŬAV alum. He has an undergraduate and MPA degree from ǧÃŬAV. He's a huge supporter of the university, and obviously his Senate district represents a large portion of the population that the University of North Georgia represents and gets its students from. We love the university, enjoy getting to work, and see the University grow and prosper and want to continue to do so.
[Interviewer]
Then you came to ǧÃŬAV, or rather, I guess when you were here, it was North Georgia College and State University back in 2009. What got you into Political Science as an undergrad, and other than the fact that was down the street from where you grew up, perhaps most importantly, why here in North Georgia?
[Ben]
Well, the decision to go to North Georgia was an easy one. I had really just a few priorities of mine when I graduated high school. And one, I was very interested in playing golf in college, but primarily, I wanted to join the military and be an officer in the military, and most of my family has attended the University of North Georgia; North Georgia College previously. It was almost a no brainer. I have a grandfather and grandmother that went there, Several aunts and uncles, and both of my parents attended the University as well. The majority of males that went here all were cadets and commissioned as officers in the army.
It's the only institution that I applied to, but I was certainly not one of those kids who knew what I wanted to graduate, and when I came here, or what I wanted to study, what degree I wanted to graduate with. So I tell all those students out there, you don't have to have it all figured out. All I know is I wanted to be an officer. Well, about two years in I realized that some medical issues were going to keep me from being able to commission. So I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life.
At the time, with the knowledge that I had and the interests that I had, I thought the State Department would be a really good route. I thought a Political Science degree would help with that. I was also studying a language to help myself become more marketable and hopefully give me a leg up on competition trying to apply for State Department foreign service jobs. And I started studying Chinese and Political Science and really enjoyed it.
[Interviewer]
You finished your undergraduate studies back in 2013 and as you mentioned, you're now working as Senator Gooch's Chief of Staff. Looking back over your journey, Ben, from Lumpkin County High School student to Georgia Senate staffer. What did your Political Science degree do? Or maybe what is it doing currently for you?
[Ben]
I think there's really two main things that it did for me. And one is you talk about a skill set and equipping yourself learning research skills. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed math in high school. That's what I spent a lot of time on. For a political scientist, you've got to have significant research skills. That research and writing are two of the key skills that I still use on a daily basis.
We do a lot of policy work in this office. I did a lot of policy work in my previous role in the Governor's office and even at the University. I, I did a lot of policy related to higher education along with the budget work and being able to research and understand and really learn issues and know where to get your information from is critical. And then also my writing skills.
I feel like my writing skills really developed as a student. I had to write a lot. I didn't have to do that so much in high school. And so, developing myself into a better writer, a better researcher is absolutely critical to most positions here at the Georgia State Capitol, but I would say, especially for the one that I have.
[Interviewer]
Now, as I mentioned in my short introduction, you were recently honored by our Alumni Association. Can you please tell us a little bit about that program and what does the receipt of that honor at this phase in your life mean to you?
[Ben]
Sure. The 20 under 40 program. I believe that's something that the University of North Georgia's Young Alumni Board put together now two years ago, I believe there are two classes that have been selected so far. I mean, it's a tremendous honor. You talk about impostor syndrome in the workplace. That's certainly, I was feeling a little bit of that.
Going to the event and being surrounded by my fellow North Georgia graduates who had received awards and hearing their stories. I really just feel lucky to be in the room with them and I'll talk a little bit about my advice to students now or younger folks looking to get their start, but I feel like a lot of my success was timing -- being in the right place and then taking advantage of being in the right place at the right time.
I just feel very fortunate to be considered among that group of people. Makes me want to be a better person and work harder to really continue to prove myself that you deserve something like that, and so I'm really grateful for it. I also have to commend the Young Alumni board. It's a fantastic idea. It's a great way to highlight the successes of young alumni and where you can go and who you can be with a degree from the University of North Georgia, so just really grateful to them, and I think it'll be a great program for years.
[Interviewer]
To come back quickly to your undergrad years in Dahlonega. What experiences, and you mentioned that your internship, but either them or what other experiences from our program have been most meaningful to your life? And as you look forward, which may be more meaningful for your future career?
[Ben]
I think what's really important and I have a perspective because I went and got an MBA afterwards. It's such a different experience getting a degree in Political Science because it teaches you how to think as a political scientist. And I really appreciated the professors who would always press you based on your point of view.
I mean, it's hard to take politics out of a Political Science course. You're always going to come in there with some sort of bias on any given issue, and you may be asked to research it on one side or the other, but I really appreciated the opportunity to be able to think really critically and deeply on a given topic that maybe I was passionate about before, but I didn't see the other perspective or I didn't see it from various angles, and I think that's what really lends itself to my benefit now.
In this role, is before we look to introduce legislation or start talking about a topic from one perspective, or how we want to tackle a certain subject, I spend a lot of time critically thinking every angle of the issue to make sure that we have it exactly right and that it's good public policy, for the state of Georgia. And understanding how to think about issues, all the various levels that it could potentially impact, understanding our federalist system.
You have the federal level, state level, the local level. Decisions here at the state can impact those decisions that are made locally. We're always watching what's happening in DC and how that can impact the decisions we're making here at the state capitol. It, how to think as a political scientist, how to think as a policymaker, is probably the most critical thing that I learned within the Political Science Department.
Something else I want to add about my experience at the University is that ǧÃŬAV allow, allowed me to develop myself as a whole person. Whether it was leadership skills within the Corps of Cadets, the cadets was just my experience. You can learn leadership skills in so many different ways at the University. Whether it's a leadership position in any student organizations.
At this point, I'm sure the University has hundreds of them, but organizing your fellow students in Greek life, through Athletics, being a captain or having a leadership role on the athletic team, an honor society within each college. I know the Political Science Department has an honor society. But understanding how to be a leader, in my experience as a cadet, I think to be a good leader, you also have to be a good follower and a good listener, and a good observer, and always learning from those that may be leading you right now, so you can understand what aspects of the leadership you like and want to apply to your own leadership style.
I thought leadership skills was something really critical that I experienced at the University. Discipline. I learned that certainly, as a student, a Political Science degree, you're having to do a lot of research, a lot of writing. It's time consuming, but you're learning the whole time, and that's the exciting part about it, and I'll get a little bit later about how you always need to be learning.
I would also say, I'll go back to what I was just hitting on, but knowledge and understanding of the political system we have here in the state. I hit on it a little bit earlier, but I think understanding how decisions are getting made, who's making them, how decisions are impacting your life every day. I mean, before I took a Political Science degree, I didn't pay attention hardly at all to the news. Maybe I'd watch a little bit of national news, but there are happening in every spring here at the State Capitol.
There are more things happening here at the State Capitol that probably have a bigger impact on your day to day life than what's being covered in the news every day or things that are going on in DC. It's just gaining and grasping a better concept for public policy making, I would say was a really important aspect of my time as a Political Science student.
[Interviewer]
In closing, Ben, what do you have to say to our viewers, especially those who are prospective students, but also some of your colleagues and other former students?
[Ben]
Always be learning. You can learn from literally everyone you come into contact with. They have different experiences, different backgrounds, than you. Always, make sure that you show humility and give people time. I know we can all get busy. I know students are certainly busy nowadays with all the pressures on them, but just make sure that you're always learning and you're always trying to find ways to learn from any given situation, whether it's something that's a success, or it could be a total failure, but if you don't learn from the experience, then you'll let it go to waste.
Certainly, always be learning. Don't be afraid to try new things. For me, that was certainly the case. Like I said, all I knew was military. All I read growing up was military history, books on various world wars and US history, particularly military related, and I just wasn't that knowledgeable. I said, you know what, I'm going to go out on a limb and take on this degree pathway and do an internship at the Governor's office.
I can remember I tried to prepare as best I could for that interview, but I just didn't have that much knowledge about politics at the time. I was relatively new in the degree program when I applied for the internship, but I did my research and I learned a ton in my semester doing that internship program.
I certainly encourage other students to make sure that they are doing internships. They are putting themselves out there and going to new places, making new connections. Networking is critical in the political realm. You always want to be putting yourself out there and trying new things.
It's particularly important when I say going out there, trying new things is being present when you're there. This is one thing that I have to remind myself constantly because we don't have a lot of time and we always have a lot of things going on, but when you're went somewhere, when you're meeting with someone, when you're at an event, do your best to be present.
We have distractions all around us nowadays, the news cycles 24/7, but try to be present. You'll get the most out of the experience, you'll learn the most when you're present and in that moment, and try your best to be present wherever you are. Also, be trustworthy. That's what I tell any young person that comes down here and interns or any folks who are asking me about what it's like to work in policy making or interested in going to lobby or something like that, is you've got to be trustworthy here, because the decisions that are made, like I said, they have a huge impact on people and the state of Georgia and millions of Georgians that live here.
People need to be able to trust you and trust that when you're providing them information that will impact how they make their decision on any given issue. You want to be able to trust that person. You always want to be trustworthy as well, and I hit on it earlier. Being present, if you're going to spend your time doing something, do it to the fullest. I say that as advice ironically because I felt like I may not have done that as well in my undergraduate time, and that's probably one of the few regrets that I have, because I was spread so thin.
I tried to be a cadet, an athlete, and in a fraternity and on SGA, and had a part time job at the same time at Moe’s, rolling burritos, or at the outlet mall at Dawsonville, selling clothes. I just, I felt like I spread myself really thin, and you just always want to be careful with that, that's not to say, don't go out and do new things and try new things, but you always want to be cognizant of the time that you have available, because when you do go and do something, I would encourage you to do it to the fullest.
I think the hashtag you've got going for the Political Science & International Affairs department is #experiencemore and you're going to get a better experience when you are fully committing yourself to that experience. I would certainly encourage students to do so.
[Interviewer]
Well, I want to thank you, Ben, for those words and especially your time today. I know you're extremely busy, especially towards the end here of the legislative session, but getting ready to start the new one here in a few short weeks. On behalf of the entire department and faculty and staff, I'd like to congratulate you again on being recognized as one of ǧÃŬAV's Outstanding Young Alumni. I sincerely hope you will continue to experience more with the help of your degree from the ǧÃŬAV Political Science and International Affairs Department.
[Ben]
Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity today. I hope it was helpful and I'm very grateful again for my time as a Political Science student
Welcome to the University of North Georgia Political Science & International Affairs Department's Youtube channel. In this segment of our “Meet our Alumni” series, you'll have the opportunity to meet the class of class of 2013 Political Science major Ben Jarrard. Ben is a member of our department’s Advisory Board, but we are chatting with him today for a different reason -- namely because the ǧÃŬAV Alumni Association's Young Alumni Board recently named him to this year's 20 under 40 class. We'll get more details on that in a bit. But first, let's meet Ben.
[Ben]
Good morning and thank you very much. I'm glad to be here talking with you and look forward to the conversation.
[Interviewer]
To start us off, would you please tell us a little bit about yourself? Who is Ben Jarrard?
[Ben]
Sure. So, I am a son of a military officer, so grew up in a lot of different places in my youth, but I ended up graduating from high school at Lumpkin County High School here in Dahlonega, so local to the university. I spent my time there, 4.5 years, graduated with the Political Science degree, a minor in Mandarin Chinese. I also played golf at the University on the Division II golf team. I was a cadet. I did one year in SGA, and I did join a fraternity. I think after my one year in SGA, I realized I was stretching myself a little thin, being a cadet, and also on the golf team, and I did have a job too, throughout most of college. I was pretty busy.
Once I graduated with that degree, I had spent, I had the opportunity to intern in both former Governor Deal's office in his policy shop, and I also had the opportunity to intern for State Senator Steve Gooch from Dahlonega during the legislative session. I think that was 2012 when I did that. When I graduated I was offered the opportunity to come back and work on Governor Deal's reelection campaign. He was running for reelection for Governor in 2014. He won that election, spent about three years in his office, and then left his office near the end of his second term. He would have been termed out.
To go back to my Alma Mater at the University of North Georgia, they were opening a new government relations shop, and so I was able to do state, local government relations and then took on economic development, workforce development, worked there. Spent about five years at the university, and then State Senator Steve Gooch, who I had worked for in College years prior, was elected majority leader of the State Senate, and in that role he gets to bring on a Chief of Staff. I was fortunate enough to be hired into that role last December.
So I've now been here about a year. It's been fantastic to work for Senator Gooch. He’s a double ǧÃŬAV alum. He has an undergraduate and MPA degree from ǧÃŬAV. He's a huge supporter of the university, and obviously his Senate district represents a large portion of the population that the University of North Georgia represents and gets its students from. We love the university, enjoy getting to work, and see the University grow and prosper and want to continue to do so.
[Interviewer]
Then you came to ǧÃŬAV, or rather, I guess when you were here, it was North Georgia College and State University back in 2009. What got you into Political Science as an undergrad, and other than the fact that was down the street from where you grew up, perhaps most importantly, why here in North Georgia?
[Ben]
Well, the decision to go to North Georgia was an easy one. I had really just a few priorities of mine when I graduated high school. And one, I was very interested in playing golf in college, but primarily, I wanted to join the military and be an officer in the military, and most of my family has attended the University of North Georgia; North Georgia College previously. It was almost a no brainer. I have a grandfather and grandmother that went there, Several aunts and uncles, and both of my parents attended the University as well. The majority of males that went here all were cadets and commissioned as officers in the army.
It's the only institution that I applied to, but I was certainly not one of those kids who knew what I wanted to graduate, and when I came here, or what I wanted to study, what degree I wanted to graduate with. So I tell all those students out there, you don't have to have it all figured out. All I know is I wanted to be an officer. Well, about two years in I realized that some medical issues were going to keep me from being able to commission. So I had to figure out what I was going to do with my life.
At the time, with the knowledge that I had and the interests that I had, I thought the State Department would be a really good route. I thought a Political Science degree would help with that. I was also studying a language to help myself become more marketable and hopefully give me a leg up on competition trying to apply for State Department foreign service jobs. And I started studying Chinese and Political Science and really enjoyed it.
[Interviewer]
You finished your undergraduate studies back in 2013 and as you mentioned, you're now working as Senator Gooch's Chief of Staff. Looking back over your journey, Ben, from Lumpkin County High School student to Georgia Senate staffer. What did your Political Science degree do? Or maybe what is it doing currently for you?
[Ben]
I think there's really two main things that it did for me. And one is you talk about a skill set and equipping yourself learning research skills. As I mentioned before, I really enjoyed math in high school. That's what I spent a lot of time on. For a political scientist, you've got to have significant research skills. That research and writing are two of the key skills that I still use on a daily basis.
We do a lot of policy work in this office. I did a lot of policy work in my previous role in the Governor's office and even at the University. I, I did a lot of policy related to higher education along with the budget work and being able to research and understand and really learn issues and know where to get your information from is critical. And then also my writing skills.
I feel like my writing skills really developed as a student. I had to write a lot. I didn't have to do that so much in high school. And so, developing myself into a better writer, a better researcher is absolutely critical to most positions here at the Georgia State Capitol, but I would say, especially for the one that I have.
[Interviewer]
Now, as I mentioned in my short introduction, you were recently honored by our Alumni Association. Can you please tell us a little bit about that program and what does the receipt of that honor at this phase in your life mean to you?
[Ben]
Sure. The 20 under 40 program. I believe that's something that the University of North Georgia's Young Alumni Board put together now two years ago, I believe there are two classes that have been selected so far. I mean, it's a tremendous honor. You talk about impostor syndrome in the workplace. That's certainly, I was feeling a little bit of that.
Going to the event and being surrounded by my fellow North Georgia graduates who had received awards and hearing their stories. I really just feel lucky to be in the room with them and I'll talk a little bit about my advice to students now or younger folks looking to get their start, but I feel like a lot of my success was timing -- being in the right place and then taking advantage of being in the right place at the right time.
I just feel very fortunate to be considered among that group of people. Makes me want to be a better person and work harder to really continue to prove myself that you deserve something like that, and so I'm really grateful for it. I also have to commend the Young Alumni board. It's a fantastic idea. It's a great way to highlight the successes of young alumni and where you can go and who you can be with a degree from the University of North Georgia, so just really grateful to them, and I think it'll be a great program for years.
[Interviewer]
To come back quickly to your undergrad years in Dahlonega. What experiences, and you mentioned that your internship, but either them or what other experiences from our program have been most meaningful to your life? And as you look forward, which may be more meaningful for your future career?
[Ben]
I think what's really important and I have a perspective because I went and got an MBA afterwards. It's such a different experience getting a degree in Political Science because it teaches you how to think as a political scientist. And I really appreciated the professors who would always press you based on your point of view.
I mean, it's hard to take politics out of a Political Science course. You're always going to come in there with some sort of bias on any given issue, and you may be asked to research it on one side or the other, but I really appreciated the opportunity to be able to think really critically and deeply on a given topic that maybe I was passionate about before, but I didn't see the other perspective or I didn't see it from various angles, and I think that's what really lends itself to my benefit now.
In this role, is before we look to introduce legislation or start talking about a topic from one perspective, or how we want to tackle a certain subject, I spend a lot of time critically thinking every angle of the issue to make sure that we have it exactly right and that it's good public policy, for the state of Georgia. And understanding how to think about issues, all the various levels that it could potentially impact, understanding our federalist system.
You have the federal level, state level, the local level. Decisions here at the state can impact those decisions that are made locally. We're always watching what's happening in DC and how that can impact the decisions we're making here at the state capitol. It, how to think as a political scientist, how to think as a policymaker, is probably the most critical thing that I learned within the Political Science Department.
Something else I want to add about my experience at the University is that ǧÃŬAV allow, allowed me to develop myself as a whole person. Whether it was leadership skills within the Corps of Cadets, the cadets was just my experience. You can learn leadership skills in so many different ways at the University. Whether it's a leadership position in any student organizations.
At this point, I'm sure the University has hundreds of them, but organizing your fellow students in Greek life, through Athletics, being a captain or having a leadership role on the athletic team, an honor society within each college. I know the Political Science Department has an honor society. But understanding how to be a leader, in my experience as a cadet, I think to be a good leader, you also have to be a good follower and a good listener, and a good observer, and always learning from those that may be leading you right now, so you can understand what aspects of the leadership you like and want to apply to your own leadership style.
I thought leadership skills was something really critical that I experienced at the University. Discipline. I learned that certainly, as a student, a Political Science degree, you're having to do a lot of research, a lot of writing. It's time consuming, but you're learning the whole time, and that's the exciting part about it, and I'll get a little bit later about how you always need to be learning.
I would also say, I'll go back to what I was just hitting on, but knowledge and understanding of the political system we have here in the state. I hit on it a little bit earlier, but I think understanding how decisions are getting made, who's making them, how decisions are impacting your life every day. I mean, before I took a Political Science degree, I didn't pay attention hardly at all to the news. Maybe I'd watch a little bit of national news, but there are happening in every spring here at the State Capitol.
There are more things happening here at the State Capitol that probably have a bigger impact on your day to day life than what's being covered in the news every day or things that are going on in DC. It's just gaining and grasping a better concept for public policy making, I would say was a really important aspect of my time as a Political Science student.
[Interviewer]
In closing, Ben, what do you have to say to our viewers, especially those who are prospective students, but also some of your colleagues and other former students?
[Ben]
Always be learning. You can learn from literally everyone you come into contact with. They have different experiences, different backgrounds, than you. Always, make sure that you show humility and give people time. I know we can all get busy. I know students are certainly busy nowadays with all the pressures on them, but just make sure that you're always learning and you're always trying to find ways to learn from any given situation, whether it's something that's a success, or it could be a total failure, but if you don't learn from the experience, then you'll let it go to waste.
Certainly, always be learning. Don't be afraid to try new things. For me, that was certainly the case. Like I said, all I knew was military. All I read growing up was military history, books on various world wars and US history, particularly military related, and I just wasn't that knowledgeable. I said, you know what, I'm going to go out on a limb and take on this degree pathway and do an internship at the Governor's office.
I can remember I tried to prepare as best I could for that interview, but I just didn't have that much knowledge about politics at the time. I was relatively new in the degree program when I applied for the internship, but I did my research and I learned a ton in my semester doing that internship program.
I certainly encourage other students to make sure that they are doing internships. They are putting themselves out there and going to new places, making new connections. Networking is critical in the political realm. You always want to be putting yourself out there and trying new things.
It's particularly important when I say going out there, trying new things is being present when you're there. This is one thing that I have to remind myself constantly because we don't have a lot of time and we always have a lot of things going on, but when you're went somewhere, when you're meeting with someone, when you're at an event, do your best to be present.
We have distractions all around us nowadays, the news cycles 24/7, but try to be present. You'll get the most out of the experience, you'll learn the most when you're present and in that moment, and try your best to be present wherever you are. Also, be trustworthy. That's what I tell any young person that comes down here and interns or any folks who are asking me about what it's like to work in policy making or interested in going to lobby or something like that, is you've got to be trustworthy here, because the decisions that are made, like I said, they have a huge impact on people and the state of Georgia and millions of Georgians that live here.
People need to be able to trust you and trust that when you're providing them information that will impact how they make their decision on any given issue. You want to be able to trust that person. You always want to be trustworthy as well, and I hit on it earlier. Being present, if you're going to spend your time doing something, do it to the fullest. I say that as advice ironically because I felt like I may not have done that as well in my undergraduate time, and that's probably one of the few regrets that I have, because I was spread so thin.
I tried to be a cadet, an athlete, and in a fraternity and on SGA, and had a part time job at the same time at Moe’s, rolling burritos, or at the outlet mall at Dawsonville, selling clothes. I just, I felt like I spread myself really thin, and you just always want to be careful with that, that's not to say, don't go out and do new things and try new things, but you always want to be cognizant of the time that you have available, because when you do go and do something, I would encourage you to do it to the fullest.
I think the hashtag you've got going for the Political Science & International Affairs department is #experiencemore and you're going to get a better experience when you are fully committing yourself to that experience. I would certainly encourage students to do so.
[Interviewer]
Well, I want to thank you, Ben, for those words and especially your time today. I know you're extremely busy, especially towards the end here of the legislative session, but getting ready to start the new one here in a few short weeks. On behalf of the entire department and faculty and staff, I'd like to congratulate you again on being recognized as one of ǧÃŬAV's Outstanding Young Alumni. I sincerely hope you will continue to experience more with the help of your degree from the ǧÃŬAV Political Science and International Affairs Department.
[Ben]
Well, thank you, sir. I appreciate the opportunity today. I hope it was helpful and I'm very grateful again for my time as a Political Science student