Here, There and Everywhere: UVA Wise Unlocks Local, Regional and National Opportunities for Student Commencement Speaker Bryson Roberson
Bryson Roberson transferred to the University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise), so he has a point of comparison for his thoughts about the College.
“There are so many people here doing all they can to help students,” says Roberson, who graduated from John I. Burton in Norton, Virginia.
Roberson’s feet haven’t stopped since they first hit the ground on UVA Wise’s campus, where he is a Napoleon Hill Scholar and received the Thelma Meade Hancock & Robert C. Hancock Memorial Scholarship. Among his greatest hits at the College: he gained hands-on experience doing undergraduate research, which led him to present at the Midwest Political Science Association Conference in Chicago, and he took the Napoleon Hill Foundation Keys to Success Course, which led to an internship with then-Commonwealth Attorney Charles “Chuck” Slemp III.
On May 11, Roberson will be the student speaker at UVA Wise’s Commencement, where he will be joined by none other than his former internship supervisor, Slemp.
“It’s my hope that my speech will help my classmates see that it’s our job to represent the College,” said Roberson. “And I hope to thank my professors for the wealth of opportunities they create.”
Roberson says that, when the UVA Wise community works as hard as it does to create a mix of opportunities for students, everything else just naturally follows.
For him, “everything else” translates to a lot. In his internship with Slemp, Roberson sat in on court, transcribed calls from inmates and assisted the attorneys in the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office with everyday tasks. He also applied for and became counsel for the prosecution for the College’s Honor Court.
These experiences gave him the knowledge, confidence and experience for an educational internship at The Fund for American Studies, a program that allowed him to take economic courses at George Mason University and intern for the National Star Route Mail Contractors Association, where he analyzed legislative and regulatory developments and conducted outreach with congressional representatives.
Throughout this experience, he had the chance to connect with a multitude of students, each boasting diverse backgrounds and pursuing various professional paths, igniting his motivation. Additionally, he encountered an array of legislators, government officials and professionals in the heart of Washington D.C.
From this experience, Roberson became a program advisor for the Fund, guiding students within the program and coordinating events.
During his semesters on campus, Roberson served as UVA Wise’s student representative for the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia and was inducted into the National Society for Leadership and Success; the Darden Society; Alpha Pi Sigma, the administration of justice honor society; and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society.
In his backyard of Wise County, he completed the Forward Wise County program and served as an election officer.
“Bryson is a highly intelligent student who is an engaged learner and analytical thinker. He always puts more than 100 percent into everything he does, and he has worked hard to achieve his goals. I nominated Bryson because he is a good role model,” said Yenli Yeh, professor of criminal justice at UVA Wise.
Roberson’s research on “Tweets Give Results: An In-Depth Analysis of Twitter Behavior and Election Outcomes” was published in volume four of “Lux,” UVA Wise’s multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal dedicated to promoting exceptional written scholarship by current students and recent graduates.
He also completed an interdisciplinary cost-benefit analysis of small modular nuclear reactors in Southwest Virginia. Both undergraduate research opportunities were key accomplishments at UVA Wise that helped land his next step after graduation.
Throughout the next year, Roberson will be exploring frameworks around nuclear policy as Clear Path, a nonprofit organization that works to develop and advance policies that accelerate innovations to reduce and remove global energy emissions.
Eventually, Roberson would like to come back to Southwest Virginia to assist with the positive momentum the region is achieving.
“My whole life I was told I had to leave this area to do anything, to leave my family and be uncomfortable. At UVA Wise, I learned that’s not true. You don’t have to leave to do something. College is academic, but it’s also full of opportunity to learn and grow with people and see others experience good times and bad times together in a close and intimate setting.”
Roberson will graduate with a bachelor of science degree in economics and criminal justice as well as a bachelor of arts degree in political science.