As a young boy born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and living in the country of South Africa, Jonathan Dubois was fascinated by the legal proceedings, high-stakes corporate law battles, and sharp dialogue of the American television show Suits.
Fast forward. Dubois, who immigrated to the United States when he was 18, is now a sophomore studying international security and law in the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University. As of late January, he also serves as the president of the undergraduate student body following a term as executive vice president.
Dubois says his interest in international law and advocacy stems from the first-hand realization of “how little influence or say countries have over their resources,” he said. “It all comes down to the policies that are made, whether that be multilateral or bilateral agreements. I want to be able to be that change in leveling the playing field.”
As the chief elected officer of George Mason’s undergraduate student body, Dubois manages a cabinet of peer officials and advocates for nearly 30,000 students, serving as a voice to the school’s top leadership. He also participates in meetings with the governor-appointed Board of Visitors (albeit without a vote) and raises concerns about academics, campus life, and costs.
Dubois came to the United States specifically to pursue higher education. The Schar School’s three-year-old international security and law degree program, one of the first of its kind in the country to combine the academic subjects, caught his attention.
“And with George Mason being so close to [Washington], D.C., there are plenty of networking opportunities,” he said.
During his first year at the school, Dubois expressed interest in joining the undergraduate student government. He spoke to upper class members of the organization who suggested he devote time to understanding how student government works and to get to know the student body.
As it happened, he discovered that becoming involved in campus government was another way of deepened his understanding of his academic major.
“The more I got involved, the more of an impact I realized I could make,” he said. “What initially made me run [for vice president] was how I saw all types of students being affected [by campus policies], whether you are the traditional student who stays on campus, the student who has a child, a commuter, or any other type of student.
“Every student has different needs, and I wanted to be able to help students to address those needs.”
As student government enters the final months of spring semester, Dubois plans to have student government have a “more integrated stake in the overall George Mason community,” he said.
His aim, he said, is to broaden the access for students who are interested in participating in student government.
“The more students we get on board, the more students can be involved, he said. “And the more students who can give their input, the more we can get [implement] their initiatives, and we can get their voices heard.”