New policy mentor program creates opportunities to engage with expert practitioners

Among other things, LeVine praised Brown students for their sincere commitment to social justice and equity. "One of the best questions I've ever been asked is 'How do you reconcile networking with equity,'" she said. "I think you have to recognize it as an expression of privilege, but at the same time make sure you are extending that privilege to others. You have a responsibility to do good with that to which you have access."

Rodríguez, who like LeVine attended Brown as an undergraduate, said he wanted to participate in part as a way of giving back to the University, "I've realized as my career unfolded and my life went on, how influential Brown as an overall institution was to who I am personally and professionally, well beyond the classroom aspects of my education."

Rodríguez also had high praise for current Brown students, "My observation over the last year has been that Brown students are even more tremendous now than they were in my day, and they were pretty amazing back then. They're engaged, they're knowledgeable and they're curious."  He continued, "I'm excited to share the things that I've learned in my career — both as a lawyer and as a public servant — and contribute to a group that I can tell you with some level of confidence contains some of the leaders we're going to be reading about in the not very distant future."

Seraphin also came away from his time as a senior fellow impressed with Brown students and noted that he sees the student body as an excellent source of potential employees in public service careers.

"Working with Watson gives me an opportunity to help students think about future careers in Washington and talk with them about some of the realities of working in policy, especially technology and national security policy," he said. 

Seraphin noted that engaging with Brown students has already proven beneficial for him. "I've employed a couple of Brown students as interns already," he said, "and I know some other government and industry organizations in defense technology have hired Brown students. It's nice to see that pipeline ramping up and the federal government, especially in the national security space, being able to access these great students."

One message all three mentors were eager to convey to students is that despite the outwardly hyperpartisan environment in contemporary American politics, behind-the-scenes things are still getting done in Washington in a cooperative manner, and there is room for them to make an impact. 

"Part of what I want to do," said Seraphin, "is to show that there are hardworking people in Washington who are succeeding at things and telling their success stories. Everything's not hopeless. Things can actually happen in Washington. I think that's sometimes an eye-opener for students," he said.

Rodríguez emphasized that even now, it is essential to engage with people you disagree with politically. "I think especially in the polarized and toxic political environment we're in now an important part of getting things done in the world of public affairs involves talking to people that not only you don't agree with," he said. "You might not like them, but you still have to find a way to talk to them. And I think how to do that without feeling like you are sacrificing your values or empowering, dangerous people is not necessarily easy."

All three also mentioned that patience is an essential virtue for anyone who hopes to make an impact in the public policy arena. "I want to help students tap into their power by understanding the value of patience, persistence and partnerships," said LeVine. "Those things are critical to making a difference. There's a tendency to want to swing for the fences — 'Let's go for a law! Let's go for a constitutional amendment!' — but a lot of work happens at the state level and in really small spaces where even the lowest level voices can be heard," she said. "I want to help students understand how they can make an impact."

Over the course of the fall and spring semesters policy mentors will make regular in-person visits to campus where they will lead career-oriented workshops for MPA and IAPA students and also give talks. They will also hold both in-person and remote office hours and have one-on-one conversations with students to offer strategic advice on mapping out and navigating career pathways and help them network with other practitioners.