This week, Professor Dan Schnur spoke to the CLA cohort about effective messaging, a skill that is applicable to a variety of needs, whether it is running a political campaign, applying for a job, or marketing a product. However, while I thought that his lecture was insightful, particularly in terms of creating and expanding windows of opportunity, I found the most value in our lunch discussion, where he individually gave everyone career advice and insights.
Professor Dan Schnur speaks to the CLA cohort on the importance and strategies for effective messaging.
This past semester, I thought that I had finally figured out my ten-year plan, and up until mid-June, I was quite confident in my path. I would graduate from college with a degree in International Relations and French, then go straight to law school, then become a corporate lawyer for a few years to pay off my student loans, before finally switching to the public interest legal sector to live out the rest of my glory days.
But in mid-June, I began my summer internship with CLA, through which I have been placed at the Office of Congressman Jimmy Gomez, and now, I barely have a two-year plan. I entered my host office internship apprehensive of the bureaucracy and polarization of American politics, but now, I am considering a potential career in politics, alongside my continued interest in the legal and non-profit sectors. I’ve also found that I have a natural tendency towards management-like leadership roles, and being the campaign manager for the mock campaign has made me want to explore what I can do with my management and organization skills in the future.
One of my values has always been to make meaningful differences in individual people’s lives, which I used to think I would only achieve through direct services, such as public interest law, non-profit work, and education. I saw policy work as too long, too unstable, and too broad. However, through my work with Congressman Gomez, I’ve realized that even when working in government on policy and securing funding for projects, you can still see the significant impact it has on individual community members. It has been especially eye-opening to hear from community members the impact of federal funding for projects such as permanent supportive housing, healthcare equipment, and community service centers.
In discussing all of this with Professor Schnur, particularly in terms of the “existential career crisis” that I’m currently experiencing, I expressed my anxiety in deciding which path to choose and how to go about it. However, Professor Schnur suggested looking at this “crisis” differently:
“This ‘crisis’ doesn’t seem like a ‘crisis’ at all. It just seems like you’re discovering new interests and paths, but it doesn’t mean there is only one path you can take. Rather than trying to think which path you should take, you should think which path you should take first. Especially in this day and age, we are not limited to only one career choice, nor should we stay on one career path for the rest of our life.”
Thus, the most valuable lesson that Professor Schnur taught me during his visit with CLA was that it is not a matter of what I do, but rather it is a matter of when I do it. I still see myself going to law school and entering the public interest legal field, but that doesn’t have to be right out of college. Or maybe I do go to law school right out of college, but that doesn’t mean that I’m confined to the (extremely vast) field of law either.
The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not reflect the views or positions of CAUSE or the CAUSE network.
Written by Angel Yuan, Leadership Academy 2023 Intern.
The CAUSE Leadership Academy (CLA) for students is a nine-week, paid, internship program that prepares college undergraduates to lead and advocate for the Asian Pacific Islander community on their campuses and beyond.