I remember clearly what senior fall is like. Recruiters clamoring at FitzRandolph Gate, classmates ducking out of classes in business attire to make an inconveniently timed interview, the pressure (and, with an offer, relief!) of knowing what the future holds as soon as possible. My message today, delivered with the humility of a young alumna who is only a step removed from your position, is that pursuing a job in the public interest, a decision that may look risky, unorthodox and unpredictable, is actually quite the opposite under the Princeton umbrella.
Every year, seniors opt for the "Princeton In's" (Latin America, Asia, Africa), a ReachOut '56 Fellowship, a Projects in Community Service internship, the Sachs Scholarship or a one-off internship with a Princeton alumnus or alumna in need of a research analyst. For me, Princeton Project 55 has been the pivotal program. By bringing alumni together with students and recent graduates, Project 55 seeds the personal commitment, leadership and discipline needed to solve critical issues affecting the public interest. Dozens of partner organizations - nonprofits with focus areas including public health, law, education and the environment - carve out meaningful positions for Princeton alumni every year.
I am now in my second year of education reform work for D.C. public schools as program manager at CityBridge Foundation. When I started my own fellowship, I immediately felt well-supported by my supervisor, Arthur McKee '90, but also knew just as quickly that my training and first research projects would be one and the same. Throughout my first months of reading, interviews, collaborative working documents and presentations on urban education reform in D.C., I felt enthused by the momentum behind our work. I believe in our mission and our role in the education movement, and know that without Princeton's public service pipeline, I would not have found CityBridge.
Currently, Project 55 has 68 fellows, most from the Class of 2008 but some from slightly older classes, serving public interest organizations across the country. Why isn't the number of fellows larger than 68? It could very easily be much bigger, since each year the program has many more organizations on offer than students applying to be fellows. Our growth in D.C. from four fellows in 2007 to eleven in 2008 was solely due to an increase in the number of applicants who chose to work in D.C., not a dramatic spike of partner organizations in the system. The nonprofit sector has an insatiable demand for talented and dedicated human capital, and this demand will only increase as the current generation of leaders looks for its eventually successors.
So in other words, seniors, you could not be in a stronger position to find public service positions - Project 55 or otherwise - that align with your interests and ambitions. There is a lot of work to be done, and there are simply not enough of you to go around. At a time when much is uncertain, just know that it is possible to look forward to getting to the office each day, to have ownership over your work from the start and, above all, to track a bottom line that quantifies lives changed for the better.
The founding impetus for Princeton Project 55 was a call to arms by Ralph Nader '55 in an address to classmates delivered in 1989 at an "off-year" reunion event in Washington, D.C. He prompted a collective wake-up call that at his then-age of 55, it was time to start thinking about giving back and leaving a legacy that directly affects future generations of Tigers. His call resonated, and I will always be grateful for the impact the Class of 1955's pioneering enterprise has made in my life. But, Class of 2009, you do not have to wait until you reach 55 to commit to public service. Begin now.
Caitlin Sullivan '07 is currently the program manager for the CityBridge Foundation.
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