Megan Weeks got her first glimpse of government through a high school advanced placement course she took during the 2016 election season.

Watching how campaigns played out “translated the concepts we learned in the classroom into a concrete reality,” said Weeks, who spent her free time that year knocking on doors and calling voters on behalf of her chosen candidate for governor.

She’s since parlayed her passion for politics and public service into a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mary Washington. Just days before she donned her cap and gown and walked across the Commencement stage, Weeks received word that she was among 25 rising college seniors and graduates nationwide selected for the Virginia Governor’s Fellows Program. Weeks, who grew up in Henrico County, will return to the Richmond area this summer to merge the knowledge and skills she acquired at UMW with the hands-on experience she’ll gain working in the office of Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine. Read more.