When I first joined the Laidlaw Scholars Program almost two years ago, I had a very little idea of what I wanted in a career or life beyond college — I only just finished my first semester of college. I hadn’t even met some of who I would now consider my some of my closest friends. However, after completing the last component of the program, the Leadership in Practice Summer, and now reflecting on what the past two years have meant for my development as a leader and person, I cannot imagine what my idea of purpose, ethical leadership, and authentic community engagement would be today. Every single step of the program has been invaluable in shaping the ways I think about what it takes to live a purposeful life and to create meaningful change.
One thing I did know entering the program was that I wanted to continue exploring and furthering my passion for combatting social inequities and supporting the marginalized communities I am a part of. As a Public Policy major, I knew I wanted to do something in the policy or legal arena to address these issues — I just didn't yet know what that work looked like, or what it would take to have a lasting impact. It wasn't until I took the Spring Gateway Course and embarked on my research summer in Cape Town that I began to understand what it truly means to be engaged with the communities I am either researching alongside or helping. Throughout the course, I learned about the difficulties and ethical challenges of entering communities I am not a part of, the strategies used by successful social justice leaders and activists, and how to sustain long-term advocacy around systemic issues. The skills and concepts I gained from the course were the perfect introduction to the community-engaged research I would go on to do in Cape Town with two local non-profit organizations.
During my research summer, in a team of two other Laidlaw Scholars and a Duke Professor, we conducted research on behalf of these organizations to gain better insights into their advocacy strategies and pertinent issues that could influence their potential work as an organization. Our research required us to lean heavily on our community partners and the residents of Cape Town and South Africa, which brought the ethical and leadership concepts from the Spring Gateway Course to life in ways I hadn't fully grasped before. This process helped me develop the skills needed to work within communities and to craft policy strategies that are community-informed and tailored to the people they aim to serve. This experience was not only one of the highlights of my time in the Laidlaw program, but also one of the most transformative, sparking my curiosity about the many other ways I could address the policy issues important to me, now with a global perspective.
Moving into the Colloquium series and entering my sophomore year of college, I became more thoughtful and intentional about reflecting on my summer and considering what I wanted from the rest of my time as a Laidlaw Scholar, with the Leadership in Practice summer approaching. By listening to other Laidlaw Scholar’s reflections and learning about their different projects at the Colloquium sessions, the Laidlaw Retreat, and the Annual Conference, I discovered the many ways I could shape my Leadership in Practice Summer into something that would be the most beneficial to my development as a leader and professional. Furthermore, throughout this time, I leaned heavily into thinking about how I wanted to turn my passions into a potential career and if the Leadership in Practice summer could help serve as launchpad into nailing down what career path I wanted to pursue. Ultimately, after working in the community and organizational side of policy and advocacy, I wanted to explore the government side, specifically something with a legal focus.
Thus, for my Leadership in Practice summer, I decided to work with the Virginia Office of the Attorney General, particularly within their Programs and Outreach section, where I could leverage the community building and outreach skills I gained from my research summer. Throughout my time at the Office of the Attorney General, I was able to support the Outreach Department by helping plan and facilitate roundtable conversations with stakeholders throughout the Commonwealth, all in service of advancing the Attorney General's key initiatives, while also building relationships with constituents to better understand the challenges facing their communities. Furthermore, I was also able to help develop an outreach strategy for the office regarding a new law that the Attorney General was charged with enforcing, which will be implemented soon. Among the concrete work I completed, I also had the chance to talk and learn from attorneys and various professional staff who have dedicated their career to public service, across various practice areas including Civil Rights, Health and Human Services, and Criminal Justice. Altogether, this experience solidified my desire and affirmed the possibility to build a career at the intersection of law and public policy, using both as tools to advocate for and serve others. Additionally, it showed me that this goal doesn't have to have one single path, from courtroom advocacy to community outreach, I was able to see firsthand the many different careers that could achieve this.
Overall looking back on these past two years, I no longer see leadership, ethical engagement, and community service as separate pursuits, but as interconnected practices that I will carry with me into whatever career I ultimately pursue. Furthermore, I feel like I also have a much better grasp on what these specifically mean to me, and how I practice them in my daily life. Going forward, I want to continue refining my leadership by staying curious, asking questions before assuming answers, and centering the voices of the communities I hope to serve. Furthermore, I plan to hold onto the lessons I learned both in Cape Town and Virginia, in that meaningful change requires listening first, building trust, and recognizing that no single path can accomplish any one goal.
The Laidlaw Scholars Program didn't just show me what I want to do, it showed me who I want to be while doing it, and that is a foundation I intend to keep building on for the rest of my life.