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From the "Ouachitonian": William Goodson

August 02, 2021 - Spencer Benway

Previously published in the 2020 Ouachitonian yearbook

William Goodson, a senior communications & media/strategic communications and political science double major from Little Rock, Ark., was offered a job in the United Kingdom to work for Parliament, the British government.

"There’s a cultural exchange program here in Arkansas that began between congressman French Hill and Rehman Chishti,” Goodson said. “They started a thing where U.S. students will go and work for the district in Parliament, and U.K. students work for the district in the U.S.”

While he was in the United Kingdom, Goodson worked with Chishti to advocate for the development of stroke service centers.

“We had been advocating for the development of new stroke service centers, which is a huge problem right now,” Goodson said. “If you don’t have a stroke service center within an hour from you, then your odds of having permanent damage rise drastically.”

The first Saturday that Goodson was in the U.K. was October 19, which happened to be the first Saturday in 37 years that Parliament had a debate on a Saturday.

“This was one of those things that definitely stuck with me the most,” Good said. “Just getting to sit in the gallery for the debate on that Saturday was a huge historical moment. The last time they called a debate on a Saturday was when they declared war. To be there was amazing, it was so packed. Just seeing them debate was an amazing experience.”

Goodson had already met Chishti a few times while attending government events. Chishti offered Goodson the job at Parliament and encouraged him to reach out.

“I reached out to him and he gave me the details, it happened to be in the middle of the semester,” Goodson said. “I was primarily staffing him and conducting research with the other staff members in the office. Basically anything they needed done, I was able to help with. There was a lot of stuff happening because the big Brexit event was happening.”

Goodson was able to experience a monumental parliamentary debate, help advocate for stroke service centers, and work for Parliament all in one semester.