Brightpoint Student Ali Thomas Earns Virginia Government Simulation’s Impact Award
Brightpoint Community College student Ali Thomas stood before a silent house chamber and with one powerful statement, gained the attention of her 81 peers.
“I stand in front of you as a 12-time felon,” she said.
Thomas was participating in VCU’s Virginia Government Simulation (VGS), a three-day immersive simulation in which college students from across the state take on the role of legislators and debate proposed legislation. During the simulation, students enter the Virginia State Capitol and make their way through the standard parliamentary procedures of Virginia’s General Assembly. Serving as a Republican, Thomas was one of Brightpoint’s six delegates participating in the VGS.
On the final day of the simulation, Thomas presented House Bill 25 – coauthored by Brightpoint student Hailey Herbst, who also participated in the simulation as a Republican. This bill would establish a second chance program for non-violent drug offenders, prioritizing treatment over incarceration.
The chamber sat in anticipation for Thomas to continue. She proceeded by drawing from her own life.
“With five years clean from heroin and fentanyl, I served roughly three and a half years for my charges,” Thomas said. “However, I currently work as a paralegal for a local law firm in Scottsville and I’m working towards a law degree. If I can do it, any addict can.”
In the days prior, the simulation had been a lively source of serious discussions, with passionate debates stirring from every proposed bill. But hearing from Thomas’ own experiences, her hardships and struggles with addiction, the chamber stilled. There was no further discussion. The bill was passed 76-0.
Earlier in the simulation, Thomas and Herbst passed House Bill 32, which addressed parental alienation following divorce. Both of their bills were signed during the simulation’s closing ceremony by the student governor.
“This bill [House Bill 25] was one that I was extremely nervous to speak on,” Thomas recounted after the simulation ended. “I have spent most of my life in active addiction, and when I finally got clean, I told myself that if my story and my struggles could help just one person along the way, then it would all be worth it to me.”
Thomas attributed her success and recovery to the post-release support services she received, such as Chesterfield’s HARP (Helping Addicts Recover Progressively) program. Access to these programs played a critical role in her journey to rebuilding her life after addiction.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, 2,463 Virginians died from overdoses in 2023; eight out of ten deaths involved fentanyl. Preliminary data for 2024 shows that number has dropped to 1,403. While this is certainly an improvement, it shows that there is work remaining in the fight against addiction.
“We all know someone who’s either in active addiction, lost their lives to it, or has found recovery from it,” Thomas said after the simulation. “Addiction does not discriminate, it does not care about your political views, your religious beliefs, your sexual orientation, or your socioeconomic status. It ravages communities across the world.”
After the floor adjourned for the last time, a signing ceremony commenced, during which Thomas received the Virginia Government Simulation’s Impact Award. This award is reserved for those who have gone “above and beyond to enhance the experience for others and has made a lasting mark on VGS.”
“As our bills were getting signed all I could think about was how immensely proud I was to have worked with Hailey and the legislation that we came up with,” Thomas said. “This whole experience reaffirmed my belief that I was born to work in law, politics, and public service. I have never been surer of my life’s purpose than walking out of the Capitol that Friday afternoon.”
About the Author:
Chris Ruiz-Torres is a sophomore at Brightpoint Community College. Ruiz previously edited and wrote for Clover Hill High School’s “Cavalier Chronicle” and continues to write short fiction as well as essays. Ruiz is majoring in Liberal Arts, with plans to transfer to Virginia Commonwealth University for Urban Planning and Regional Studies.
Editor’s Note:
During the Fall 2025 semester, seven Brightpoint students participated in the Virginia Government Simulation (VGS). The three-day simulation, which includes undergraduates from across the Commonwealth, gives students the opportunity to play the role of a Virginia legislator and immerse themselves in the legislative process. Participants research positions; elect their party’s leadership; propose, amend and debate bills; and send passed legislation to the VGS’s internally-elected Governor. Some VGS participants take on the role of a journalist covering the session.
Brightpoint’s 2025 VGS student participants included Burt Daniels, JoAnn Delgado, Hailey Herbst, Christopher Ruiz-Torres, Lenard Szabo, and Alexandria “Ali” Thomas. Brightpoint faculty, Dr. Michael Means and Andrea Dunford, helped prepare the students for this hands-on learning experience in civic engagement.