Hello! My name is Julianna Pasquarello and I am a rising Junior at Tulane double-majoring in Economics and Political Science. This summer, I am an intern at the Cato Institute, a non-partisan public policy think-tank dedicated to the principles of individual liberty, free markets, and peace.
Prior to the start of my time at Cato, I set a series of goals for myself when interning. My time at Cato contributed immensely to the achievement of these three goals:
- One goal I set for myself was to gain experience in analytical data-analysis and research. These skills are useful for a future goal of mine to continue my career in research and eventually enter law school. For instance, as a research intern at Cato, a component of my job includes utilizing research software to collect, disseminate, and analyze large bodies of data. As I plan to continue my work in public policy research, I plan to use these skills I have learned at Cato in such future work.
- The second goal for myself was to improve my political communication skills. As a part of Cato’s internship program, I delivered a speech to fellow interns and other staff about political voting patterns in the deep south. Not only was I able to break out of my shell and improve my public speaking skills, but I also developed my skills in speech writing. Furthermore, while my time at Tulane has instructed me on primarily academic writing, my time at Cato has taught me to write on a wide range of purposes, whether is it be professional, academic, or practical. If I wish to enter a career in public policy and law, it is essential to be able to articulate a public policy to a wide range of audiences. Over the past few months, I monitored this growth by comparing my old writing to what I have written today and, to be quite honest, I have seen quite a difference and am proud of my progress!
- My third goal was to develop a skill less visible to the eye: networking, At Cato, I regularly conversate with a wide range of professionals, ranging from attorneys to policy analysts, to politicians. Through exposure to a wide range of such experts, I am able to articulate my experiences more effectively based on the person I am speaking to–a skill transferable to any profession I choose.
These skills translate to one project I am proud of working on. At Cato, my work focuses on an issue which has gained traction in the media since the appointment of Betsy Devos to the Department of Education: school-choice. In this project, I research and compile data regarding leaders in different school types (private, public, magnet, charter, etc) in major states. With this data, we plan to determine their opinions on different policies surrounding school choice. Given the many forms of school choice, such as vouchers, and education savings accounts, it is imperative to ascertain the opinions of local officials regarding these policies.
In addition to my research, I am engaged in a wide range of activities in Washington, D.C. through Cato. For instance, I observed Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Steven Daines (R-MO) speak on the history of the U.S-Israel relationship. On a different day, I sat and listened to Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Heritage Foundation discuss the threat “deep fake” technology poses to our privacy, democracy, and national security.
As a result of my time as a research intern at Cato, I am proud to label myself a female leader. The mission of the Newcomb College Institute is to afford women the strength and resilience to accomplish whatever their passions. My time at Cato has afforded me the tools and experience to accomplish this mission. Since coming to Cato, I have met scores of women who have taught me that no matter where you stand in life, everyone has the potential to accomplish their desires. By researching to improve public policies which impact both men and women, I have become an instrument to institute the change women deserve today. I have learned at Cato that, as a female leader, it is especially important to stand up against policies that are unjust for individuals and women alike. But it is more to be able to articulate why these public policies hinder the paths women wish to achieve. This is the beginning of where change happens.
Another piece of Newcomb’s mission is to encourage women to grow. My work at Cato has supported this growth by challenging me to think outside of the box and understand diverse perspectives. Prior to coming to Cato, many of my academic discussions at Tulane were limited to my like-minded peers at school. One material thing Cato affords me is interacting with a network of individuals who approach public policy from various backgrounds and positions on the ideological spectrum. True leaders represent diverse perspectives and capitalize on this diversity to enact change. This summer has taught me the importance of leading through respect — especially in diverse political climates. I look forward to bringing political gaps in the future as a result.
I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about my experiences as an intern in Washington, D.C, and I look forward to sharing more of my experience with you as the summer winds down!
Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Heritage Foundation!