Virginia Peninsula Community College students Molly Grazier and Jess Montgomery led an engaging learning experience for students at the Eastern Regional Conference of the Virginia Government Simulation (VGS) on VPCC’s Hampton Campus.
During the March 22 conference, the two Paralegal Studies majors helped fellow VPCC Gators and undergraduates from universities and colleges across Hampton Roads gain hands-on training in drafting legislation.
“I hope students left the regional conference with a deeper understanding of the legislative process at a minimum, said Grazier. “More importantly, I hope they also gained confidence in their ideas and opinions on law and government. I was able to meet so many special people as well as gain more wisdom thanks to them. It was a very inspiring experience.”
Montgomery agreed, adding she was honored to have an important role.
“I was very excited to lead the VGS conference. It was a very daunting task leading my peers in a new process … I was very intimidated by the tutoring process. They had to learn all of this and negotiate with each other during the legislative process,” she said.
“I love guiding and being a mentor figure to others, so this conference made me very happy from seeing a large crowd of eager delegates to answering their questions. I felt so honored to guide them all in the end,” added Montgomery.
In the morning session, students participated in committee work, drafting bills on topics including election rules, procedures and a code of conduct for VGS delegates. The afternoon featured regional collaboration, as students connected virtually with other parts of the Commonwealth, reconciling the various bills into a unified framework for the VGS experience this fall.
The regional conference at VPCC, in collaboration with Virginia Commonwealth University’s Institute for Democratic Empowerment and Pluralism, had its highest registration and attendance to date, according to Amy Anderson, VPCC’s Legal Studies department chair. The event helped raise awareness about the upcoming second annual VGS, set for fall 2025 in Richmond at the Capitol Building.
“This event offered a unique opportunity not only to apply and expand students’ knowledge in the world of legislation but also gave VPCC students a chance to develop real-world leadership skills,” said Anderson.
“I’m so proud of our students for contributing to the formation of active citizens and advocating for the inclusion of community college students in statewide events,” she added, noting Montgomery received an Impact Award for “significant contributions” to 2024 Virginia Government Simulation in Richmond.
Anderson said in preparation for the VGS, the new MOOT Club at VPCC will spend the next several months organizing a student delegation to attend the fall event.
To learn more about VGS, visit https://idpce.vcu.edu/va-government-simulation/.