Coming into the CAUSE Leadership Academy, the world of politics and government seemed so inaccessible to me. In my head, I always conceptualized it as something to be watched on a TV screen, passively followed through news articles and social media posts. Institutions of government always felt so far removed from my existential plane, like a sort of indomitable, uncontrollable cosmic energy that I could only helplessly observe as it destroyed the universe.
I remember the COVID-19 pandemic cemented this perspective in my mind. In the span of half a year, everything around me was crumbling to pieces and I had no way of doing anything to stop it. People were marching and people were suffering and people were dying and I was completely, utterly powerless. It was the absolute worst feeling in the world.
My experiences with CLA at the Sacramento Capitol Summit trip, however, started to change this perspective of mine. During this trip, the other interns and I had the opportunity to meet with previous CLA alumni who’d made their way onto various representatives’ legislative staffs. One of the alumni we spoke to was a Legislative Director, two were Legislative Aides, and one was an APICA intern. Each one had been a CLA intern just like us and each one was able to use CLA as a platform to launch their own careers in legislation. It was a very refreshing change of pace to be able to speak with people who are only a couple of years older than us and see the more immediate effects of CLA in the natural progressions of their professional journeys. In my view, it gave a sense of concrete possibility to the still ambiguous notion that careers in politics and government are, indeed, an option for people from the AAPI community.
Although meeting with and speaking to various people involved in state-level politics in Sacramento was certainly an enriching experience, my favorite part of the trip was when we toured the inside of the Capitol building and were given the chance to physically enter the Assembly Chamber. It was such a surreal experience to walk into that room because I’d seen it so many times in different live streams of floor sessions throughout the course of my host office internship. I remember the awe of seeing the digital board in the center of the room lighting up with bright red letters that spelled “Welcome CAUSE Leadership Academy” and I remember the giddiness of taking pictures in front of Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi’s desk, the Assemblymember I’m volunteering with this summer. I remember just breathing in the air of that room and thinking “This is real. I’m really here. This is a physical space that I can occupy and a world that I can be a part of.”
The CLA interns take a group photo in front of the board welcoming them into the California State Assembly Chamber.
It was at that moment that I began to truly believe that I can make it here, that I can achieve my dreams of working in law and politics.
It’s not going to be easy, and I believe that it’s not meant to be easy. But through CLA, I’ve learned that I am smart, that I am hardworking, that I am passionate, persuasive, charismatic, and kind. I do have what it takes to occupy whatever professional space I choose to occupy in the future, whether that be as a legislative staffer, as a litigator, or as an elected official. And, most importantly, I do deserve it. I deserve to be included in this world of law, politics, and government that once seemed so far away. I deserve to have the opportunity to pursue these careers to the best of my ability. I deserve to have the chance to make a difference.
And now, thanks to CLA and the Capitol Summit trip, I have both a foundation and the basic tools I need to kickstart my professional journey.
Intern Meghna Nair offers a big smile as she crouches in front of Assemblymember Mike Fong's desk in the California State Assembly Chamber.
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 Meghna Nair, 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.