Class of 2026: Jason Dresen readies for the Peace Corps and, hopefully, the Foreign Service

By Anastasia Mineiro

When he was 16, Jason Dresen accompanied his father to a gala at the Russian Embassy in Washington.

"All these Russian diplomats were there. All these American diplomats were there," Dresen said. "It was this big fancy party, and everyone was talking to me and asking me, 'What do you want to do?'"

They wondered if he would follow in the footsteps of his father - who worked for a think tank specializing in Russia - and his father replied for him: "No, he's probably not. He's going to do his own thing."

But as they left the party, Dresen surprised his dad, saying he maybe did want to pursue international relations. And as the double-major graduates this spring from Virginia Commonwealth University, Dresen is making his way in that direction - albeit doing "his own thing" along the way.

In September, Dresen will join the Peace Corps - and head to Sri Lanka - as a first step toward what he hopes will be a career through the U.S. Foreign Service, part of the State Department. So like his past, his future could have a like-father-like-son similarity, with his years at VCU offering a chance for expansive studies highlighted by his achievements in economics.

Dresen grew up just five minutes by car from the U.S. Capitol, and he was immersed in the world of foreign affairs and diplomacy.

"A lot of my friends' parents were in that line of work. Some had the job that I want to do. Some had different jobs that were in the same vein," he said.

In fall 2022, Dresen came to VCU to study economics in the School of Business and political science, with a concentration in international relations, in the College of Humanities and Sciences. He has served as a teaching assistant for Macroeconomic Theory and as a tutor for economics and political science at the Campus Learning Center. He received the Department of Economics Distinguished Service Award in 2025 and was named the department's student of the year in 2026. Outside of class, he has been a member of the VCU Men's Ultimate Frisbee Club.

Dresen said his spirit of energy and engagement at VCU reflects his interests going forward, too. He noted that Foreign Service workers in embassies abroad are "the eyes and ears on the ground [who] report back to the U.S. to inform policy," and he embraces the prospect of traveling the world.

"For two years, you might be living in India studying the Indian economy. Then, two years later, you might be in Mexico processing visas. And then two years after that, you might be in Italy working with NATO on a defense treaty," Dresen said. "It's always something new, and that's something that is appealing to me. I don't want to say I get bored easily, but I like stuff to be fresh."

The Peace Corps can be a launch point for such a career, he said, and a motivation for his upcoming assignment.

"It makes it easier to get the job that I ultimately want," Dresen said. "I also don't want to land a job out of college and then have that job for 30 years. I'm guaranteed to have a new job in two-and-a-half years, so that's exciting."

In September, Dresen will go to Sri Lanka to teach English. He will spend three months in training in the capital city and then move to a rural area to live with a host family.

Languages are a strength for Dresen, who also has been a tutor for Spanish at VCU. After studying Latin for five years in middle school and high school, he switched to Spanish and now co-leads a weekly Spanish group.

"I learned that I enjoyed learning languages, and that was another thing that sort of pushed me toward wanting to work in diplomacy and international affairs," Dresen said. And in pivoting from one language to the other, "I was really happy to learn that Spanish is just Latin - but eight times easier."

He knows that hard work now awaits on his path toward a potential Foreign Service career. He also appreciates how his starting point beyond VCU is rooted in service.

"I had a couple family friends growing up who were in the Peace Corps, so I remember hearing their stories," Dresen said. "The whole mission of the Peace Corps is something that I strongly support and am happy to be a part of."