Dear Stanford in Government friends,
I am excited to introduce myself as SIG chair for the 2016-2017 school year. SIG is special–we register first time voters, provide summer policy fellowships, and host inspiring speakers in public service. We do this to build a culture of engagement in public policy on campus. I’m privileged to lead the group next year and continue our great work.
My involvement in SIG started my freshman year, and deepened as I led SIG’s voter registration efforts during the 2014 midterm election. As a sophomore this offered me three things: the chance to start a public service project that I was passionate about, a SIG summer cohort program that supported me as I pursued that passion with an internship in DC, and a push to become a better leader. As chair, I hope to help other students have similar key experiences. I’m already inspired by the growth of our voter registration program; we’ve gone from registering voters at freshman events to extending our reach to campus community centers, local high schools and the Veterans Administration hospital. I can’t wait to see what comes next for us as our members follow their passions and respond to the needs of the world around us.
This fall, I’ll be in Washington, D.C. for a week as the course assistant for a Sophomore College class called the “Economic Policies of the Presidential Candidates.” I’m looking forward to bringing the excitement around the election back to campus, but I know we don’t just need to engage students in the federal government, or only during an election year. Policy at every level of government affects every person’s life, and SIG students have the chance to make a difference in the local, state, national and international community.
Over the summer, our cohorts in Sacramento, Santa Clara County and Washington, D.C. will meet with Stanford alumni in the SIG family. If you’d like to support our cohort and meet these dedicated students, we can connect you to our cohort leaders. This fall, if you are near campus, please plan a visit in the fall to meet our team. To that end–mark your calendar now for our annual Reunion Homecoming Brunch with the Haas Center on Sunday October, 23, 2016. I look forward to seeing familiar faces and to meeting new faces there! And, you can always reach me by phone at (608) 630-5044 or via email at emscholz@stanford.edu.
Finally, I want to thank Robert Chun for a great year. Robert’s leadership this year and your continued support as friends of SIG provide the base for our work to engage students with policy as public service. Here’s to another great year!
Best,
Libby Scholz
