Darren Dubose, ’18, wants to be an agent for change in a different way than he had been in his short teaching career prior to coming to the Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service.
A product of humble beginnings, Dubose grew up in rural Alabama in a close-knit community where everyone helped everyone.
“I grew up in an environment where I didn’t have everything, but I had a heart to give,” he said. “And I was part of an environment where if we didn’t have everything we needed, people were always there to help us. We always had that helping hand in the church and the community or the school.”
Dubose worked as an educator, teaching physical education to high school students at a small school in rural Alabama after graduation from Alabama State University. While he enjoyed teaching and understands that education is one of the most important things society can give a child, he wanted to be a bigger advocate for change. This passion, combined with his upbringing, led him to seek a greater understanding of education policy and how it affects minorities.
Selfless Service Through Education
With this newfound focus, Dubose chose the Bush School to study education policy and prepare for his future of public service. Here, he is in the Public Management track with an emphasis on education policy. He said part of his drive stems from the desire not only to understand policy but also to teach policy to those who are affected by it. He plans to apply his background as an educator, knowledge from classes, and experiences at an internship in Washington, DC, to advocate for opportunities for others who are less privileged.
Because of Dubose’s roots, the notion of selfless service was instilled in him from a very young age, and that desire to help others has not left him.
“I’m still that same little boy from that small town,” Dubose said. “Without being here at the Bush School, I never would’ve had the opportunity to intern. I would not have the opportunity to really understand policy and how taxes work with education,” he said.
Advocate for Change
Now better equipped to enter the job force, Dubose plans to apply his understanding of policy to his future career as a public servant. No matter how far he goes from his home town of Butler, Alabama, he keeps with him the Bush School mantra of “Public Service is a Noble Calling” and the Aggie core value of selfless service.
Public service, Dubose says, is an important part in his life, not only at the Bush School but beyond these walls as well.
“It is important to understand and remember that we all come from different backgrounds, different regions, everywhere in the world,” he said. “But at the end of the day, when we leave here, we’re representing not just ourselves and our family but the people of the United States and elsewhere.”
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This story originally appeared on the Bush School website.
