Senior political science major David Myers is used to a certain degree of "hectic-ness." The New York City native said coming to Geneseo was a big shift from city life, but it's given him a lot of perspective.
"Being away from New York was a good idea," Myers said. "If I hadn't come here, I would've always wanted to live in the city," He did, however, try to memorize all of the New York subway lines at age 3: "I've been screwed from the get-go," he joked, referring to his dorkiness and small obsession with public transportation.
Myers was born and raised in Queens and attended high school in the Bronx, and said that going to college somewhere outside of his comfort zone has really helped him to overcome his shyness. "I was very much content with being in my own shell," he said. "Coming to college made me realize that if I want to do something, I have to work at it."
This realization has afforded Myers a number of unique opportunities during his time at Geneseo, including attending a student-run conference in Japan, interning in two political offices, studying abroad and volunteering for Barack Obama's presidential campaign.
Myers said the Japan-America Student Conference that he participated in during summer 2010 "was kind of like being an adult for the first time." While making new friends from both the United States and Japan, Myers put his political science skills to work: "It's interesting to disagree with someone who you have not just a language barrier with, but also a cultural one … you have to look for ways around that," he said.
While interning in New York City and on Capitol Hill for Rep. Gary Ackerman (D, NY) and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D, NY), respectively, Myers solidified his decision to further his studies with a job in law or government. He discovered where Sen. John McCain (R, AZ) gets his haircut every Tuesday, and opened some wacky mail – including a Father's Day postcard with a photo of Hillary Clinton. Myers said he loved giving tours to visitors, like a group of Queens midwives that he lost on a bathroom break. He also got to see – and fall asleep at – a few Senate hearings, but he said that the best part of his time in Washington D.C. was working alongside Geneseo alumni in Gillibrand's office.
"It made me realize that if they could do it, I could too," he said.
During fall 2010, Myers studied in Prague, choosing it "on a whim." He said it was nice to study in and explore a city again, because it felt like home. "It also felt like I was in a gritty film noir movie the whole time," he quipped. Prague also gave him the chance to travel to other places including Budapest, Berlin and Vienna.
Myers is now volunteering as a fall fellow for Obama's Organizing for America program, working to compile a network of 2012 campaign contacts and volunteers.
So what are his plans after graduation? "Bounty hunter," he said. "But seriously, I want to be doing something I can brag about … something with security clearance because that makes me sound cool." Though when he was younger he aspired to jobs ranging from president to international bachelor, Myers said he's interested in law, but also in pursuing a master's in public policy or something government-related.
"I haven't really thought beyond two years from now," Myers said. And though he's currently unsure of the future, he's content enjoying his last months at Geneseo, and spending his Sunday mornings watching "Meet the Press."