On our first day in Sacramento, the cohort and I heard from CAUSE alumni, who were working at various levels of the legislature. Just like us, they had begun the CAUSE Leadership Academy program unsure of their career pathway. They had become friends with their peers. They had reached out to guest speakers they had met through the program. And in doing so, they had been able to get their foot in the door at the Capitol. We were also able to walk through the State Assembly Chamber. Peering across the desks of California’s Assemblymembers and seeing brightly-colored squares reading “AYE” and “NO” on the desks, I realized how significant these buttons were, and how many lives they controlled. I experienced this a lot throughout our time in Sacramento–-physical evidence of the legislative process was intriguing, if also a bit unsettling.
The cohort posing in the State Assembly Chamber.
The next day, we discussed mentorship and higher legislative operations in the Capitol with guests that included chiefs of staff, political strategists, and a member of the Assembly. From their testimonies, I noticed a common thread: oftentimes, people were promoted not by directly applying but by being recommended by their peers in previous job experiences. Being noticed by one’s coworkers was an integral part of professional growth: one speaker instructed potential legislative staffers in our group to treat all coworkers like our future boss because there was a good chance one of them would be. We also heard about mentorship from Bill Wong and Annie Pham. The two of them described mentorship as a sort of tool utilization; Wong emphasized that he did not pursue personal relationships with his mentees; if anything, he avoided it because it prevented him from being brutally honest with them. He also described how he would also pull strings for people he did not consider mentees if he considered them to fit a number of criteria—these include creativity, nimbleness, deviation, and assertiveness. He and Pham also discussed critically considering one’s mentors. Some people in the legislature were known to use mentees to spy on other offices, and Pham herself even had a mentor with an agenda that opposed her own; she noted that once she received advice that did not serve her, she had to make the difficult decision to stop spending time with them.
Campaign managers demonstrating our confrontational approach to teamwork. From left: Emma Chen, Olivia Sieve, and Angel Yuan.
Taking the Sacramento trip with CAUSE renewed my admiration for the Capitol, even as someone who has no interest in pursuing politics. From legislative aides to chiefs of staff, it felt as though I could watch a legislator’s life cycle—and it started with someone like us. Compared to the testimonies of other guests we had met in Los Angeles, these ones illustrated a work environment and approach to professional relationships that was much more competitive in Sacramento. Though hearing about this process was invigorating, it also cemented in my mind that this was not how I wanted my future career or life to look like. Even so, I am grateful to have had the opportunity to speak with those who have had a hand in creating this state.
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 Olivia Sieve, 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.