Policy Wonk: Brenda Galván '08
Brenda Galván '08 realized an interest in politics when she was 11 years old. In her hometown of Santa Barbara, California, Brenda launched Kids for Capps, an organization of local children and teens that in 1997 campaigned for the successful election of Democratic Congresswoman Lois Capps.
This past summer, as a rising senior, Brenda secured an internship in the Washington, D.C., office of the same Congresswoman who spurred her to action in her youth. "I didn't think I'd be so interested in politics until I was actually there," says Brenda. "I'd been disillusioned [at times]. Now I am enthralled." She describes the experience of working on Capitol Hill as transformative.
Motivated by this experience, Brenda strengthened her resolve to obtain another internship and to continue learning about Congressional politics and the legislative process. This fall, she found the ideal outlet for her interests in New York City; with the support of an internship grant from the Constance Hess Williams '66 Fund for Political Internships, Brenda is an intern in the New York Press Relations Office of Senator Hillary Clinton, working in the Senator's midtown Manhattan offices.
The political science major says she's excited by the opportunity the job affords her to learn about the Senator's national policy agenda as well as giving her a firsthand view of New York state's diverse political landscape. Working with deputy press secretary Eric Bederman, Brenda helps to compile daily media recaps, detailing the Senator's press coverage. She helps with mailings and press releases and fields constituent phone calls. Brenda also works with other staffers on initiatives aimed at informing the public about Senator Clinton's legislative work in the Senate.
The internship experience extends to her coursework here on campus, and informs the research she's now doing for her thesis. Under the guidance of her thesis advisor, Professor Dennis Dalton, Brenda is examining issues related to the separation of church and state, focusing in particular on the role played by spiritual advisers to the president.
Given her strong research skills and enthusiasm for politics, Brenda was nominated for a research fellowship with the Center for the Study of the Presidency by her mentor, Richard Pious, the Adolph and Efie Ochs Professor of American Studies. The Center for the Study of the Presidency offers 85 undergraduate and graduate fellows the chance to attend policy workshops in Washington, D.C., in the spring and fall. The conferences, as well as resources and mentors provided by the Center, culminate in the completion and presentation of independent research projects related to the Presidency. Brenda's Fellowship research is focused on the role of the First Lady, specifically the factors that allow prominent First Ladies such as Eleanor Roosevelt and Senator Clinton to transform their identity from spouse to political figure.
The internship and research projects have come together and planted an even deeper interest in women and politics. Considering the minority status of women in Congress—there currently are 74 women in the U.S. House of Representatives and 16 in U.S. Senate—Brenda is well aware of the lack of female representation in the highest political arenas. "We do need to elect a woman president," she says. "A strong female leader could positively impact policy on education, health care, and children's issues."
Brenda's interest in women's leadership at the national level reflects a strong commitment to developing her own leadership skills. Barnard and the education afforded here, she says, has contributed to her own confidence in professional environments and her purposeful pursuit of independent research projects. "Barnard taught me not to be intimidated ... and not to be quiet." Internships have played a critical role in cultivating the leadership potential of all the young women attending the College, including Brenda's. She says: "They prepare you for the real world and give you an idea of what to expect after college."
While law school was once part of the plan, it's her recent research experiences with professors Dalton and Pious that have convinced Brenda of her "after college" plans—to apply to and enroll in a PhD program, and to ultimately become a professor. "It's my calling," says Brenda of the experience of being a lifelong scholar. Those plans will wait until after the 2008 presidential election. Working for Senator Clinton has fired the senior to experience life as a political campaign staffer. "I'll go anywhere; I just want Hillary to win."
—Katherine Rood
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