Sen. Matt Swenson ’26 spontaneously ran for Student Assembly Senate during his freshman year at the College of William and Mary. To his surprise, as an out-of-state student who knew no one at the College, he won. After years of dedication to the Senate, Swenson will become its chair as the next SA vice president, serving alongside class of 2026 President Zoe Wang ’25 MPP ’26, SA’s new president.
Swenson grew up in a small town in New Hampshire, with only 20 people in his high school graduating class. During the tough times his family faced in his childhood, he remembers the immense support his tight-knit community provided, which he notes was essential to his growth into his current self.
“I’m very appreciative of places that shape your identity because I was in that town my whole life, and that shaped my viewpoint of the whole world,” Swenson said. “I think that knowing where people come from is a very important part of identities that we don’t always talk about. So that’s really something that shapes how I approach everything that I do now.”
Swenson serves as the Senate’s Finance Committee Chair, helping manage budgetary requests and complications. Swenson never considered himself a financial expert, but he learned to love the detail-oriented work the position brought.
“I did not think I was like a money kind of finance person, but I am someone who can really look through the noise and see the rules,” he said. “That’s what finance needs to do in Student Assembly because we’re all very passionate, and a lot of the initiatives we see are very good ideas, but it’s also about making sure that we’re consistent and fair with them.”
Swenson’s time as committee chair influenced a key part of his and Wang’s campaign – reforming the Organization Budget Allocation Process – which he noted is often complicated and confusing for student groups to navigate.
“We really focused on making sure that the OBAC process is something that students understand, that it works for them and that it’s here to help them, not to hurt them, because a lot of students are very frustrated by the process. And, having been through it for three years on finance, I kind of understand the nitty-gritty of why students are upset and what we can do to fix that,” he said.
This collaborative and compassionate energy is a pillar of Swenson’s personality. He enjoys openly communicating with his peers to work through issues and thinks this aspect has benefited his work in the Senate.
“I like to sit down with people and talk things through. I think that’s a skill set I really like to bring to a deliberative body like the Senate,” he said.
Swenson hopes that this will shine through in his new role. He acknowledges that as the Senate’s leader, this open dialogue will be even more important. He wants to use his keen communication skills to facilitate more conversations between the Senate and the Cabinet.
“I see myself as vice president as a mediator. I want to make sure that people in Senate are getting their work done and also connecting the Senate with the Cabinet because sometimes they can feel very disconnected, even though we want them to have the same overarching goals towards the same missions. But, sometimes, that doesn’t always happen. So I really want to use my role as vice president to kind of be like the glue to make sure that everyone’s working together collaboratively,” he said.
When Swenson decided to run for vice president alongside Wang, he had prior experience campaigning to bring to the table. Through projects in his public policy classes and volunteer work, he felt prepared to take on the challenge of this election. He highlighted his canvassing efforts this past November for the Historic Triangle Democrats.
This opportunity took him outside of the College’s “bubble” and gave him experience listening to issues that matter to people outside of the campus community.
“I’m very passionate about making sure that college students aren’t stuck in that kind of ivory tower, and that’s what I enjoyed about being able to canvas around Williamsburg,” Swenson said.
Swenson was also involved in Ayanna Williams’ ’26 successful campaign for a seat on the Williamsburg City Council. Swenson and Williams worked together on the Senate’s finance committee, and when Williams asked Swenson to join her campaign team, he could not refuse the unique opportunity.
“I was really glad to help her because she’s an amazing candidate, and I know a lot of people appreciate the voice that she brings to city council now, and students are really looking forward to her representation there,” Swenson said.
Swenson gained valuable lessons from the campaign, including the importance of trusting himself — something he’ll carry into his own upcoming term.
“I learned to be more sure of myself and kind of be more assertive because you’re always gonna find people who question you. And again, like I was talking about, how I find it difficult to kind of sell myself to others and get them to like me. So that was very difficult, but I’ve learned some people are just not gonna be huge fans of you. But for every one person like that, there are gonna be a few others who really stand by you and really believe in you, and that’s what gives me the energy to keep going,” Swenson said.
While Swenson knows he wants to work in politics after graduation, he is open to exploring all areas — he just wants a position where he feels he can make a difference in the world, where he can advocate for those whose economic situation he feels is not adequately represented in government.
“We’ll see where I go from here. I’m definitely interested in politics, just where in politics I end up, I’m not sure. I just know that whatever I want to do, like going back to my professional motivations on making the economy fair for everyone, whatever I feel is the best way I can do that is what I’ll end up in,” Swenson said.
