Vassar Scholar Pursues Career in Public Service

After leaving the Air Force in 2019, first-year Vassar Scholar Seth Jenkins joined Illinois Senator Dick Durbin’s constituent services team. Over three years working in government, with a particular focus on veterans’ services, Seth saw firsthand what a difference good public servants can make in the lives of the people they serve.

The same desire to serve that led Seth to the Air Force inspired him to pursue a career in public office. With this goal in mind, he sought out the Posse Veterans Program to help prepare him for the role. When Seth heard about Posse he immediately connected to the mission.

“Growing up we were pretty poor, and for a period we were homeless,” Seth says. “When I was in high school, the Superintendent pulled me aside and said, ‘You’ll be a senator one day.’ Then I met Posse and it was making that happen for people like me.”

Seth is taking full advantage of the Posse program at Vassar. Boasting a 3.7 GPA, he is taking a full load of political science classes while making connections across the campus.

Posse Veterans Director Adam Lessuck says, “When you meet Seth you immediately know this is a person that will make a difference in the world. He understands problems as opportunities for good government to do its job and is ready to be part of the solutions.”