What inspires you to work in public service?
My whole life I have been driven by principles in social justice and equity. I believe fundamentally that all people deserve basic necessities of life, regardless of their zip code, or income. With specificity in economic parity, people in our society need access to quality work, housing, education, healthcare, and more. Public service is the premier venue for me to make real, and actionable change in the lives of those who are less fortunate. I have seen what happens to people in dying communities, and for the sake of our posterity and humanity generally, economic conditions are something we need to address today and not tomorrow, that is why I am inspired to work in public service.
What is your major, and do you have any minors or specializations?
I am a Political Science major.
What coursework or academic experiences have most shaped your interests in policy, leadership or public service?
In the course of my undergraduate phase of my academic career, I have developed strong foundations from the social sciences important to my core studies, such as political science, sociology, and economics. As well as regarding the humanities, such as: philosophy, history, and literature. Furthermore, I have had continuing discussion with past professors about current events, which have developed stronger skills in analysis, communication, and leadership needed for developing solutions. An example of a notable class I have taken would be my political science "Comparative Politics of the Welfare State", where me and my classmates analyzed the causes of and developed potential solutions to, the problem of eroding welfare in modern states.
What specific skills or experiences do you bring to your internship?
Some skills I will be bringing to my internship from my academic experiences includes: data analysis, political analysis, strong written communication in brief writing and internal communication, leading team efforts in project management and implementation. With regards to my working experiences, I have developed skills that include: professionalism, interpersonal communication, relationship management, stakeholder evaluation and outreach, constituent services, and persuasion.
What strengths do you most rely on when collaborating with others?
When working alongside team members, the most important things to cultivate to me is mutual trust, delegation, and avoiding micro-management. In team based environments, mutual trust is important for preventing the splintering of the project in question. As in my experiences, teams work best when delegated to properly and mutual trust is fostered appropriately between members to understand their roles and the goal of the initiative so as not to derail it while maintaining stable morale. Finally, micro-management has undermined past projects I have been a part of, where the lead is not able to maintain trust in the decisions of individual team-members which often leads to the disruption and sometimes failure of the project.
What are your career goals and how do you hope this fellowship will support your professional journey?
For my career, I am interested in stepping into a more ambitious role in legislative work or federal/state government agencies to make a positive impact in people's lives. Some examples include becoming a legislative aide, constituent services representative, or political/policy analyst.
What is your favorite or most impactful project from a previous role?
In my last experience, me and my team-members had worked to try and find a affordable option for a elderly gentleman who could not afford some of our most inexpensive options. The man's old protective gear had been very old, and not feasible to use anymore, and when he couldn't afford our $15 option, we found a unit destined to be thrown out, and gave it to him for free without disobeying company policy. This is impactful to me simply because it showed me that even within constraints if I maintain determination, passion, and ambition to help people, I can find a way to make that outcome possible.