PLEN: Women in Public Policy

Meet Tess Martin! Tess majors in social policy & practice and political science, and minors in economics. She recently attended a Public Leadership Education Network (PLEN) Women in Public Policy seminar, thanks to a grant from Newcomb College Institute. Read about her experience below:

Describe yourself and why you wanted to attend the PLEN seminar:

Through my courses at Tulane and my experiences with internships outside the classroom, I have developed a strong interest in problem-solving through policymaking. Furthermore, I took the course Women’s Legislative Leadership, in which I learned more about women’s experiences in local, state, and national legislatures, and I interned with a female state representative in Louisiana through that class to learn what the policymaking process is like, especially as a woman in a traditionally male-led legislature. All of these experiences have led me to consider a career in public policy. Since I had little to no idea on what this career could actually look like or how I could get there, I thought that attending the PLEN conference would be a perfect way to understand the realities of and paths to becoming a woman working in public policy.

What were your favorite parts of the conference?

One of my favorite aspects of the conference was that we got to hear numerous panels on a variety of topics with speakers that had diverse experiences within the given field. My favorite was the criminal justice panel, that featured two women who were working on different aspects of the advocacy and lobbying side of criminal justice reform as well as one woman who was working within a major city to advise the mayor’s criminal justice policies. Hearing from women successfully working in criminal justice reform made the idea of working on issues I care about seem like a practical and tangible career option.

Another valuable aspect of the conference was the extensive networking. I think “networking” has definitely become a buzzword whenever people talk about professional development, but speakers helped me understand what meaningful networking actually looks like (not necessarily having thousands of LinkedIn connections, but cultivating significant, reciprocal relationships) and how it really could help you down the line. Furthermore, the nature of the conference required that we constantly connect with and get to know other young women attending. Especially as I near the start of my own career, I think these opportunities to connect with young women in a similar position as myself as well as with established professionals inside and outside D.C. are invaluable.

Finally, the PLEN organizers allotted time for us to go see our elected representatives, and I was able to meet one-on-one with Senator Claire McCaskill very briefly. It was incredible to meet and speak with a woman from my home state of Missouri who has worked her way up to congressional leadership as the top Democrat on the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee.

 

Highlight a speaker or a job site you visited:

One of my favorite experiences in the conference was hearing Lisa Maatz of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) give a lecture about the most relevant aspects of the policymaking process, bringing her many years of experience both as a feminist scholar and as a veteran lobbyist in D.C. Her decades of knowledge helped her to share a lot of the basics and realities of working in the government as well as how things have changed over the years, especially since the most recent election.

I also greatly enjoyed visiting the office of the Cato Institute, a libertarian public policy think tank. I was surprised that much of their work was nonpartisan and was based off of specific principles that motivate their work to span across party lines. It was fascinating to hear from the women working there, one of whom was a “Forbes 30 Under 30,” who researches such a wide array of public policy topics in one of the oldest and most successful think tanks. Without going through a program like PLEN, it would be nearly impossible to get that sort of access to such high-level professionals in the field.

Detail what you learned that you hope to never forget:

First, it was emphasized frequently that every path is a valid one, and that no two are the same. I think it is critical for young aspiring professionals to understand that your path will probably not look exactly how you imagine it, but that working hard and pursuing interesting opportunities will lead you to success. Many of the women also emphasized not to rush to graduate school or other postsecondary school unless you are absolutely sure of what you want to do. This point was helpful for me, especially as a second-semester junior who is beginning to hear about (and stress out about) everyone’s law school plans and grad school applications. Similarly, the women also emphasized that you shouldn’t be afraid to take jobs that aren’t your dream job, as long as you can gain valuable experience from them.

A vital theme throughout the seminar that I plan to take with me in all my future work is to always build other women up and to bring other women with you in your successes. Most of the women that spoke at the seminar had gotten there because some woman had helped them along the way at some point, and I found this incredibly inspiring. Finally, the seminar also emphasized that, if you are a woman, you should think about running for office. Because women are less likely to run without encouragement, I think that any young woman who is passionate about an issue, about policy, or about good government should consider the idea that she could run for office in the future, and that she’d probably be really good at it.

Why should other students attend a PLEN conference?

I think any women who are interested in going into any field for which PLEN offers a seminar should absolutely consider attending. Attending this Women in Public Policy seminar gave me insights from so many women from so many areas within the field that I would never have been able to hear on my own. With the wide variety of speakers and topics within each seminar, it is also guaranteed that there will be at least one thing relevant to your interests. The practical advice offered by the women at PLEN made the daunting task of advancing my career path seem much less intimidating.

 

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