In This Story
William Nico Vacca embodies the drive and dedication of many George Mason University students—ambitious, hardworking, and deeply committed to his studies. A closer look reveals a standout individual whose résumé boasts prestigious internships, a leadership role in youth sports, and a singular self-guided international background.
As he prepares to graduate with a bachelor of arts degree in government and international politics from the Schar School of Policy and Government in May, Vacca stands out not just for his academic achievements but for the breadth of his personal and professional experiences. The Falls Church, Virginia, native has navigated the competitive world of internships with remarkable success, securing enviable and valuable roles that have prepared him for what comes next.
Last semester he interned at FGS Global, a leading communications and consulting firm with offices around the world, from Abu Dhabi to Zurich. Vacca contributed to projects from the Washington, D.C., office for major clients such as Apple and the National Football League, but his most engaging work came in international relations. Covering United Nations hearings and compiling policy memos, he gained firsthand experience in global diplomacy. He also ventured to Capitol Hill to cover Congressional hearings, an opportunity granted to many Schar School students.
“It was interesting seeing things from the inside,” he said of his FGS Global experience. “I learned a lot about niche cases by listening to UN hearings and observing how different governments interact.”
Vacca also assisted with projects involving the United Arab Emirates and Somaliland, engaging in policy research that gave him a unique perspective on governance and diplomacy. He polished his ability to analyze geopolitical dynamics and synthesize information into actionable reports.
In addition, Vacca worked for the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a Denver-based nonprofit consumer advocacy organization. The agency greenlighted his idea to research car insurance data collection and how insurance companies sell that data. Attending weekly meetings for several months led to being a coauthor on a study on the subject published in January on the PRIG website.
Vacca, who is a Schar School peer academic advisor, has been a member of two of the school’s residential learning communities. He was an early adopter of the Democracy Lab program, which was in its second year when he first arrived at the Fairfax Campus. As a junior, he joined the International Relations Task Force, which brings together students who perform individual research and collaborate on policy proposals.
He served as a research assistant in the Schar School’s Undergraduate Research Assistant Program (URAP), which offers students hands-on experience with social science research. He has worked with Distinguished University Professor Janine Wedel on a book about Russian corruption in the 1990s and twice assisted Associate Professor Eric McGlinchey in studies on U.S. policy on South African apartheid during the Cold War and U.S. foreign policy in Eurasia.
“Be it U.S. foreign policy toward the peculiarly autocratic Turkmenistan, Washington’s mixed history in the Democratic Republic of Congo, or the Azerbaijan-Armenia conflict, Nico’s analysis is always insightful and engaging,” McGlinchey said. “Nico embodies the Schar School’s commitment to advancing effective policy to address pressing global challenges.”
In his spare time—he has spare time?—Vacca referees and coaches a variety of sports in a number of amateur leagues, a passion he picked up in his high school years. He manages a flag football league for local youth as well.
“I wanted to play in the league, but they needed referees too, so I signed up,” he said of his start in athletics. “Since then, I’ve been officiating every season except for the ones we missed due to COVID.”
With graduation approaching, Vacca is exploring career options in policy analysis and development.
“I’d love to work in policy analysis, ideally in D.C., but I’m open to opportunities internationally as well,” he said.
Instead of attending classes his sophomore year in fall 2022, Vacca explored Eastern Europe on his own. He ventured for a week at a time to his mother’s native Czech Republic (his father is Italian) as well as Serbia, Croatia, and Bulgaria, staying in the capital cities. In 2023, while visiting family in Czech Republic and Slovakia, for three days he explored war-torn Ukraine. Last summer he went to Transnistria, a conflict region in Moldova controlled by Russian separatists.
“These places are pretty unknown and since I could speak the language a little bit I felt I could actually learn a decent amount about them,” he said. “These are places I’ve aways studied in class, so it was great to actually go there.”
He has basic fluency in Czech, Polish, and Spanish, and conversational skills in Ukrainian, Russian, and Serbian, all self-taught.
“My mom’s from the Czech Republic so I learned Czech as a kid,” he said. “It’s super similar to all the Slavic languages. I like to study the language wherever I go.”
It would seem Vacca has checked all the college career boxes, but he wishes he could revisit one aspect.
“It’s unfortunate I’m graduating,” he said. “I didn’t get the most out of my freshman year because I was adjusting to college life. I would like to have another semester.”