By Menachem Wecker
As a student at the University of Sussex — the first British university to offer a program in American studies — Andrew Stone had the opportunity to study abroad at a wide variety of schools across the United States.
“I could have gone to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks if I had wanted,” he says.
But Mr. Stone, who has had a lifelong interest in politics, opted for the District. “I put Georgetown and George Washington down as my top two preferences, but I am so glad to have been given GW,” he says.
Mr. Stone, who spent the academic year 2006-07 at GW, says he formed friendships at the university that he is sure will last for the rest of his life. “I guess this probably would have been the case wherever I went, but I know for certain that I loved the people I met at GW and the city we lived in,” he says. “I wish I was back there now!”
Mr. Stone is currently working for the British Conservative party as a campaign staffer for the nation’s general election on May 6. To gain a majority of one seat in Parliament, the Conservative party needs to win 117 additional seats.
“The seat I am working on is number 74 on the party’s target list of 117 seats that we need to win for David Cameron to become prime minister,” he says. “It’s one of the most important races—like working in a battleground state in the U.S.”
Mr. Stone credits his time in Washington with preparing him for a career in political campaigns. “This job is beyond my wildest dreams of what I might be doing straight after graduating,” he says. “My experiences in D.C. and at GW no doubt helped set me apart from the competition in my interview.”
At Sussex, Mr. Stone had only taken traditional political science courses, so he was excited to see GW’s offerings on topics like campaign advertising at the School of Media and Public Affairs. “It is great that budding politicians and journalists are taught together,” he says. “I’m sure that is pretty unique, and since I have to deal with the press almost every day, it has been really helpful.”
About a month ago, for example, Mr. Stone says he drew on what he learned in an election debate course at GW to help prepare his candidate for a debate.
Mr. Stone found that the benefits of studying at SMPA also extended beyond the classroom. “The school gave me the opportunity to meet senators, to see live CNN shows and much more,” he says. “I was even frisked by the Secret Service once, because Hamid Karzai, the Afghani president, was in the building!”
While studying at GW, Mr. Stone volunteered for the Democratic Party during the 2006 midterm elections. “Working for Democrats actually is compatible with working for the Conservatives in Britain,” he says. “I feel we are much more aligned with so called ‘moderate’ Democrats than we are with Republicans. The political spectrum in Europe is quite different from that of the United States. Our opposition is a socialist party, which doesn’t really exist in American politics.”
Another aspect of GW that Mr. Stone remembers, even three years later, is the facilities. “I might have found them all the more impressive because universities in Britain are funded by the state – and look like it! – but I really think GW has some amazing facilities,” he says. He was particularly impressed with the television studio at SMPA and with 1957 E Street, where the Elliott School is housed. “To look out the window and see the Washington Monument on your way to class was unbelievable,” he says.
Mr. Stone also enjoyed following the men’s basketball games. “We don’t have sports on such a big scale at our university,” he says. “I still try to follow the team here; it’s just a shame I missed my fellow Brit Pops Mensah-Bonsu by a year.”
In fact, GW Today first connected with Mr. Stone over GW sports. When Mr. Stone tweeted, “Good luck GW Cricket from a British alum,” GW Today followed up with him to ask about his time at GW. After explaining he had been an exchange student, Mr. Stone added, “Best year of my life!”