Harpur College student finds the ingredient for political success

Ryan Martin has a tip for those looking to enter politics: Spend some time in the restaurant industry.

Martin, who will graduate this spring with a degree in political science and English from Harpur College, credits his Binghamton nights and weekends washing dishes, waiting tables, tending bar and even cooking the occasional meal with giving him the communication skills and work ethic necessary to intern on Capitol Hill and at the State Department.

“I wouldn’t be able to communicate as well as I can with constituents – whether it’s on the phone or in person – if I didn’t have the skills I developed over time in a dish room, on the floor or at the bar,” Martin said. “(The restaurant business) teaches you to deal with people in every social situation possible. I can deal with an angry constituent and be able to talk them down because I’ve already done it with customers whose orders were messed up. … It teaches you how to talk to people – and how to listen.”

Martin’s public-policy journey began as a neuroscience major during his freshman year. The Suffern, N.Y., native was only at Binghamton University for a semester before shifting his focus to English.

“No matter what I chose to do, reading and writing were always going to help me in the field I picked,” the 23-year-old said. “Being able to write clearly is an imperative skill to have.”

In spring 2016, Martin headed to China, where he took speaking, language and martial-arts courses at Soochow University in Suzhou. There he formed a group of friends from places such as Italy, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Germany and Sri Lanka.

“We would talk about our countries and what we want to do,” said Martin, who minored in Chinese language at Binghamton University. “It helped me realize that I wanted to stay in this realm and represent the United States. It was one of the first times that being from the U.S. felt like it meant something. I was living somewhere where I was defined by that.”

The study-abroad experience also inspired Martin to pursue a second major.

“If I wanted to get into a master’s program, if I wanted to work in public policy or if I wanted to get internships, I knew I needed to study political science,” he said.

Martin soon turned his political-science education into local internships, starting with the New York Department of Labor’s Broome-Tioga Workforce.

“It showed me for the first time how government interacts with civilians and how it manifests on the ground level,” he said.

Martin followed with internships with the New York State Human Rights Division and the regional office of a U.S. senator in early 2018, before spending a summer on Capitol Hill assisting his hometown representative.

The efforts of the congressional employees impressed Martin.

“People there care about what you have to say about the issues,” he said. “They are trying to help (constituents) out as much as possible. It’s hard because there are a lot of opinions. They aren’t perfect, but they are trying.”

Martin remained in the Washington, D.C., area in fall 2018 to intern with the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Service Institute, where diplomats are trained to go into the world. Martin not only composed briefs for newly appointed ambassadors, but also researched Chinese-Latin American economic relations.

“It was amazing and surreal,” he said. “What we do to train our diplomats that we send abroad is always working to ensure the needs of the American people and our relationships with other countries. It’s about putting people first. If you want to be a good government employee, the mindset has to be to put people first.”

Returning to Binghamton University for a final semester might seem like a long step back, but Martin said he felt like he never left.

“There might be a large distance between D.C. and Binghamton, but there’s a phrase that says: ‘All politics is local,’” he said. “You bring politics from the local level to the national level to the international level. That means you are doing something right and should never feel far away.”

Martin said he continues to learn from – and be inspired by – Binghamton University faculty members such as political science professor Benjamin Fordham.

“I’ve never met someone who talks about foreign policy the way he does,” Martin said. “So clearly and eloquently. He makes it so digestible.”

Fordham thought highly enough of Martin to invite him to take part in a graduate seminar on foreign policy this semester.

“Ryan was an outstanding student in my American foreign policy course last year,” Fordham said. “He is currently developing a paper idea that I believe could lead to a publishable article. I look forward to working with him to make that happen even after he has graduated.”

Martin will begin working for a U.S. senator following Commencement. But he isn’t sure yet about his future political ambitions.

“I like uplifting other people,” he said after a moment of reflection. “I don’t know where that will take me, but I know that if I’m maintaining that mindset, then I’m doing it right. It will give me a good direction.

“China never leaves. My hometown never leaves. Binghamton never leaves. It’s a balancing act between the international, the county and the local.”

Martin praised Binghamton University for providing him with the foundation to make sure that people’s voice will be heard in politics.

“There were 15 different paths I could’ve walked down,” he said. “As long as you have a university that is willing to support you in whatever you do, it is invaluable. It’s something that you’re not able to get everywhere.”