Ashley Van Buskirk had been a student at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy for nearly three years when she decided she wanted to take a different path.

“I was going to have a bachelor’s of science in marine transportation, but I realized marine transportation wasn’t a field I was actually interested in. … I felt a little bit hopeless and a little bit scared for my future,” she said. “So I knew that I wanted to transfer, and I decided to apply to one school and one school only. I knew I wanted to go to VCU.”

Van Buskirk had a longtime interest in homeland security and international affairs, so she decided to enroll in the Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness program of VCU’s L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs, which is ranked No. 6 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

“I was drawn very much by the Wilder School and their programs. I knew that they were nationally ranked, and I had a few friends of mine from high school who had gone here and they had phenomenal careers coming out of it.” 

– Ashley Van Buskirk

Van Buskirk said transferring to VCU went incredibly smoothly. Her academic adviser, Katie Crump, realized that her credits from the Merchant Marine Academy would fulfill most of VCU’s graduation requirements, except for upper-level electives.

“The transfer process was seamless,” Van Buskirk said, noting that the Merchant Marine Academy “has really weird credits – like celestial navigation or maritime law – but the Wilder School found a way to really make it fit in and help me get the education that I needed.”

Crump encouraged her to enroll both as an undergraduate student in homeland security and emergency preparedness and, simultaneously, as a graduate student in the Wilder School’s accelerated Master of Public Administration program.

Van Buskirk will receive her undergraduate degree on Dec. 14 and is on track to receive her MPA in the spring. She has been selected as the student speaker for the Wilder School’s commencement ceremony.

At VCU, she said, she “fell back in love with learning.”

“I felt completely supported. The Wilder School really has provided an education that fits my needs rather than me having to change myself.”

In addition to her studies at VCU, Van Buskirk serves as a second lieutenant in the Virginia Army National Guard. She recently completed Officer Candidate School, a rigorous 18-month program that had a starting cohort of 46 candidates but only 11 who completed it. She recently had her first drill with her new unit, 2-183rd Cavalry, in Virginia Beach.

“They’re awesome. Great group of guys,” she said. “I’m the only female in a troop of about 50. We did weapons qual, we drove around in Humvees. It was a great time. I really enjoy what I do.”

During her National Guard training, Van Buskirk happened to meet Churnoh Wurie, Ph.D., an assistant professor of criminal justice in the Wilder School who also serves in the National Guard, through the Recruitment Sustainment Program with the U.S. Army in Hanover.

“We got to talking, and he told me he was a professor at VCU. I was like, ‘I’m about to apply to VCU. That’s so crazy,’” she said. “He was like, ‘Well, you better minor in criminal justice.’”

Van Buskirk took his advice and will be graduating with a minor in criminal justice. She even ended up taking one of Wurie’s courses.

“It was really cool to see him on the soldier side because he was a soldier with me, and then I became one of his students and he’s been a great mentor to me,” she said.

Wurie said he was immediately impressed by Van Buskirk, saying her “talent is palpable” and that she is “truly one of the most delightful individuals” he has encountered.

“What impresses me most about Ashley is her ambition and drive. Despite her relatively short time as an adult, she has already accomplished an impressive array of achievements that speak to her determination and capability. I firmly believe that with her intelligence, dedication and strong work ethic, she has the potential to excel in whatever path she chooses to pursue,” Wurie said. “It is genuinely an honor for me to be in a position where I can serve as her professor, mentor and colleague in the National Guard. I look forward to seeing all the wonderful things Ashley will undoubtedly achieve in the future.”

Van Buskirk said the highlight of her VCU experience has been that the more work she has put in, the more opportunities have presented themselves.

“I would try hard and do relatively well in class, and then the professor would reach out and say, ‘Hey, you need to apply for this fellowship.’ And then I’d apply and get in,” she said. “The professors and staff really advocated for me. It let me feel really empowered to learn and improve myself. Each semester has felt like a new adventure.”

Richard Huff, Ph.D., an associate professor and assistant chair of the MPA program, recommended that Van Buskirk apply for a Wilder Graduate Scholars Fellowship, which provides top full-time students in each of the Wilder School’s master’s programs with professional work experience, in-state tuition and fees, and a stipend through a host employer.

Van Buskirk is the only accelerated MPA student to receive the prestigious Wilder Fellowship, through which she is working at the Capital Region Airport Commission that operates Richmond International Airport. She primarily works in the human resources department but also helps in other areas, including operations, capital development, finance and marketing.

“We get to see day to day how to run an airport,” she said. “It’s really cool.”

Following graduation, Van Buskirk plans to focus on her military service. Next summer, she will go to Georgia for Armor Basic Officer Leader Course and will get MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) qualified.

“That’s my 50-meter target right now,” she said. “My goal is to become the most efficient soldier I can be.”

Shajuana Isom-Payne, Ph.D., assistant dean of student services at the Wilder School, praised Van Buskirk as an exceptional student who is “actively engaged in her education, takes advantage of opportunities presented to her, all while balancing her military service/training – most recently OCS training.

“Ashley truly embodies the Wilder School’s commitment to developing well-educated, passionate individuals who want to make a positive impact in the world,” she said.

This story originally appeared on VCU News.