Stories

Blair Huxman '21, an economics and political science major with a minor in French and Francophone studies, has been awarded a Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship through the Capital Fellows Program.

The Assembly Fellowship program accepts 18 fellows for an 11-month experience. Assembly fellows work in the California state capitol and directly shape public policy, from education to environmental justice, while being mentored by senior legislative staff. Blair is particularly excited about the mentorship aspect of the program. She said, "My past mentors have helped me grow tremendously, so I am excited to be in an environment where I will learn from such talented and passionate individuals."

In addition to the hands-on work experience, assembly fellows attend weekly academic seminars, which expose fellows to the theoretical aspects of political science with an emphasis on the experiential and practical issues they encounter in their placements.

Blair previously worked as an intern in the District 4 Santa Clara County Supervisor's office, an experience that "provided great insight as to how government at the county level interacts with the state and local government." For the past 7 months, Blair has been teaching English at a high school in Alés, France. This "experience highlighted how policy shapes the culture, industry, and countless aspects of everyday life in a community," said Blair. "I was exposed to many unfamiliar approaches to policy; this encouraged me to think critically about the conventional approaches of my culture and reflect on the benefits and drawbacks of each. I am excited to bring this perspective to the program and have an open mind to creative policy solutions."

In the future, Blair would like to be a policy analyst or researcher or to serve as a policy aid for an elected official. She said, "Eventually, I would like to attend graduate school to get my masters in public policy so that I can offer more specialized expertise, such as in the areas of education or economic development." 

About the Capital Fellows Program

The Capital Fellows Programs are nationally recognized public policy fellowships which offer unique experiences in policy-making and development in each branch of government. Capital Fellows are placed at some of the highest levels of California state government and assist state legislators, senior-level executive staff, and court administrators with a broad range of public policy issues and projects and are typically given assignments with a significant amount of responsibility and challenges. Learn more here.