I came into this week of my fellowship feeling more prepared and ready to learn than I had the previous weeks. By this time, most of my initial fears had subsided. My cohort was, thankfully, not the competitive, cutthroat group I had expected. Instead, we have been so supportive of each other throughout this program and have become good friends. My internship at Assemblyman Benson’s office was also not as intimidating as I feared, and I quickly settled into working there.

Now that I was comfortable in this program, I was able to fully engage myself in the work I was doing. At Assemblyman Benson’s office, one of my first tasks was to create a chart of where bills he was sponsoring were in the process of becoming laws. While doing this I learned more about New Jersey’s legislative system than I ever had before. Most of what I was taught in school about the government had been focused on the federal level, but this work gave me an opportunity to learn more about New Jersey’s legislative process and issues that were unique to the state.

From sending constituents letters, to responding to their calls, I have also spent a lot of my time at my internship communicating with Assemblyman Benson’s constituents. Constituents have a wide variety of concerns they go to their representatives for, and hearing about these concerns helped me become more aware of the different issues New Jerseyans experience. They can call on their representatives to support certain legislation their communities need, and for help navigating the confusing procedures within the government. Recently, I was asked to write a piece for the Assemblyman’s newsletter about a legislative package he played a key role in creating that would make New Jersey’s transportation system more equitable for people with disabilities. I had rarely considered the difficulties disabled folks might experience while using public transportation before this, but I soon gained a greater understanding of the unique concerns of disabled New Jerseyans and how the government is becoming more responsive to their needs. Working in a legislator’s office has given me a first hand look at the experiences of different New Jerseyans, and what they want from their government.

This past week’s speakership series was centered around the theme of Advocacy, and for the first time in our speakership series we met with speakers from the Republican Party. We spoke with Al Barlas, Senior Vice President at the public strategy firm Mercury, and Angelo Lamberto, the Deputy Campaign Manager for Ciattarelli for New Jersey Governor, and both emphasized the importance of bipartisan cooperation, and building relationships with people across party lines. My generation’s politics is deeply polarized. Growing up during the politically turbulent Trump presidency has made me feel more cynical towards politics, but it was inspiring to see leaders in the government and private sector creating a foundation of bipartisanship for the future. Madison Mielke, the President & CEO of the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies, also came to speak with us about the importance of Asian American representation in politics and discussed with us her own journey working in politics as one of few Asian Americans when she began her career. Seeing how far she had come in her career inspired me to remain hopeful about my own future and career and reminded me to trust that my abilities and dedication would help me along the way.

One speaker Eric Salcedo said something that particularly resonated with me. He told the rest of the Fellows and myself that we inspired him. At first, I was taken aback by this. After all, he has an incredibly impressive resume and currently works as the Asian American Pacific Islander Coalitions Director on the Democratic National Committee, and I am just a high schooler. At that moment I learned something that is special about public service, and it was that anyone who is willing to work hard and continue to learn can find a space for themselves to work in it. Many people in this field are truly dedicated to improving their communities. There is little room for ego and hubris in work that is committed to the needs of others, and so, many people working in public service truly seek to uplift the communities they serve, and they have been incredibly supportive and encouraging towards me and the rest of the Fellows.

I had applied to NJ Lead back in January as I was dealing with some confusion about my future. I was afraid of what the future would bring, because I did not yet understand a world outside of school, so I decided I wanted to jump right in and start working in an area that I was interested in, politics, and this program offered the perfect opportunity to do so. Between my internship and the speakership series, I have been given an unparalleled ability to explore my interests in politics and better understand what this work is like. I have learned more about New Jersey’s politics and the field in general in the past few weeks than I ever could have in a classroom. By giving me the opportunity to immerse myself in public service, NJ Lead has shown me the value of working to serve others, and for that I am immensely grateful.