Alumnus Strives for Outreach

University of Central Florida alumnus Kevan Stone ’05 is proud to represent UCF in his career in national politics.

Stone is a naturalized U.S. citizen who moved to America from Scotland when he was a year old. He attended UCF for his undergraduate degree in political science after attending Florida State University for a semester. UCF’s location appealed to Stone, who was from Palm Beach, Fla.

“UCF was close enough to home, but far enough away to still have the college experience,” Stone said.

Many opportunities arose for him through UCF that he said molded him to be who he is today. He joined the Student Government Association and Greek life, eventually becoming president of the Inter-Fraternity Council.

After moving to Washington, D.C., Stone began working for Florida’s former 7th Congressional District Representative John Mica in 2011 as a legislative correspondent.

“When I came to Washington, I had zero political experience to speak of, but I didn’t let that stop me,” Stone said.

He was far from being stopped – he continued to work in Washington as Mica’s special projects director and then as a policy advisor. As policy advisor, Stone helped draft legislation to transfer the Baldwin Park VA nursing home to the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, which was signed into law by President Obama, something that he is proud of.

Another one of his favorite stories from this job was when he was sent back down to Orlando to meet with some UCF administration officials.

“That was very surreal,” Stone said. “Being a former student, it was UCF that helped my development. I was in a position to return the favor.”

Stone also credits UCF with giving him the connections he needed to succeed in his field.

“A big part of Washington is connections,” Stone said. “When I’ve worked with other UCF alumni in D.C. on projects, no matter their political party, we’ve shared that UCF connection. UCF’s network on Capitol Hill grows by the day.”

He still works in Washington, commuting from his home in Bethesda, Md. as an associate legislative director for the National Association of Counties.

One thing all of Stone’s jobs have had in common is their capacity for local outreach. He said that helping people and communities is the best part of his profession. His current position allows him to work with county governments to propose policies that aim to improve quality of life.

Stone said that his best advice for current students and alumni is the advice that kept him motivated when he first started his now-extensive career in politics.

“To alumni and students, young and old alike, follow your dreams,” he said. “Don’t think anything is out of reach. Have passion for what you want to do.  That passion will speak volumes.”