Pathway to Public Service

Before attending Washington College, Noah Gentry ’25, a first-generation college student, had only traveled to three states and never owned a passport. During his time at the College, Gentry took advantage of classroom and experiential learning opportunities—including internships and research opportunities abroad—which he continues to draw from in his career as a public servant.

 

After graduating, Gentry joined the Maryland State Retirement Agency as an Administrative Officer. Where he processes and finalizes retirement applications to ensure that state members receive their pensions.

The position requires rigorous procedures and rules to ensure that applicants' documentation is handled meticulously. Although the role was initially outside his comfort zone, he credits Washington College for equipping him with the transferable skills needed to succeed. 

“The transferable skills of critical thinking, self-advocacy, and comprehending difficult texts helped me to quickly get up to speed,” he said. Now he takes pride in serving Maryland’s public employees and educators.

The relationships that Gentry built with faculty were central to his college experience. “I believe that the beauty of attending a small liberal arts school is that forming close connections with your professors is not uncommon,” Gentry said. “Professors are just as central to the student experience as fellow students are.”

Those connections shaped both the direction and depth of Gentry’s academic journey. 

While Gentry planned to major in political science, his path broadened after taking a First-Year Seminar on the intersection of freedom of religion and American politics with Joseph Prud’homme, the Burton Family Chair in Religion, Politics, and Culture, and associate professor of political science.

“I was deeply intrigued by the seminar,” he said. “Professor Prud’homme opened many intellectual and personal doors for me that led me to study Philosophy.”

Encouraged to pursue the questions that genuinely intrigued him, Gentry ultimately graduated with majors in political science and philosophy with a minor in religion. That interdisciplinary approach culminated in a Senior Capstone Experience (SCE) that merged feminist political theory with practical policy analysis. 

“I felt completely lost as to what I wanted to focus on,” he said of choosing an SCE topic. His advisor, policial science professor Christine Wade, asked him a simple yet transformative question: “Noah, what do you want to write about?” That conversation led to what Gentry describes as an “invigorating and unforgettable research experience.”

“My Senior Capstone Experience was a joint thesis between political science and philosophy,” Gentry explained. “I utilized feminist theories of oppression and state powers to identify pressing issues facing the welfare state in America and possible solutions to these issues.”

Beyond the classroom, Gentry embraced leadership and service positions across campus. He served as captain of the men’s varsity rowing team, performed as a violist in the Washington College string orchestra, worked as a peer tutor in the Office of Academic Skills, and contributed to campus governance as a student fellow in the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture. He was also a student panelist on the Honor Board and served as a student representative on two College task forces.   

Gentry’s experience wasn’t limited to campus. Through the Governor's Summer Internship Program, Gentry was placed with the Maryland Department of Labor’s Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning at the Maryland General Assembly. The experience sparked his desire to pursue public service. 

“As an intern, I was tasked as the lead author for a report submitted to the Maryland General Assembly,” he said. He also presented a policy proposal to Governor Wes Moore addressing “benefit cliffs” in the Child Care Scholarship Program. By proposing a sliding scale eligibility model, he aimed to ensure that individuals could pursue career advancement “without fear of being worse off financially, while also ensuring the state is practicing fiscal responsibility.”

Gentry’s academic and professional interests also took him abroad. During a semester at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland and through short-term courses in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Japan, he gained what he described as “greater insight into our common humanity.” 

Later, funded by the Libby & Douglass Cater Society of Junior Fellows, he conducted a 10-day self-directed research project in Ireland examining interfaith relations and religious pluralism. He conducted interviews with religious leaders across communities, which led him to find that “religious pluralism was deeply cherished within Irish society,” strengthening his support of interfaith dialogue and coalition building. 

While Gentry notes that his current position differs from his area of study at the College, he sees a clear connection in the skills he developed. “Classes at WAC encourage academic exercises and projects that are student-led, writing-intensive, and expansive in scope.”

Reflecting on his time at Washington College, Gentry emphasizes the lasting importance of community. “The value of community and social cohesion has stayed with me,” he said. “The only way to understand my admiration for WAC is to attend yourself.” 

—Andraya Sudler '26