My FIU in DC experience opened up career possibilities

Desiree Dawson is a senior international relations major with a minor in political science and a special interest in Africa that was sparked by a class on indigenous religions she took freshmen year. Last month, she participated in a university fly-in seminar on the future of climate technologies, organized by the FIU’s center on Capitol Hill. She writes about the excursion and its impact on her future career.

Experiencing the nation’s capital under the direction of FIU was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I came on the educational trip with a specific goal in mind: I wanted to learn about ways to make technology accessible to countries currently falling behind in their use of the latest advances, particularly many African states. I am especially interested in understanding how to help African nations implement climate technologies as they are already feeling an impact on agricultural output, which has begun to negatively affect food supplies. Likewise, the diminishing availability of clean drinking water and worsening air pollution are growing concerns.

For an opportunity like this—to talk to policymakers and dissect issues such as climate change—I assumed that everyone around me would be in the same field of study as I am. But that changed very quickly when I met and spoke with the amazing people who came on this fly-in with me. I was surprised to see a variety of majors, from marketing to business to environmental sciences. Together, we students had the chance to meet movers and shakers in the arenas of climate change, technology and policymaking.

On the first day, met FIU alumnus William A. Ramos, a senior advisor with the Department of Commerce, and Mia Rodriguez, a current FIU student serving an internship in at the agency, who gave us a behind-the-scenes introduction to how policy and commerce intersect in the nation’s capital. I learned about the CHIPS and Science Act, which directs hundreds of billions of dollars toward supercharging domestic production of advanced technologies such as semiconductors, also known as microchips.

The next day was a whirlwind of activity as we toured the city and experienced Capitol Hill. I spoke directly with aides who work on the Permanent House Science, Space, and Technology Committee. That group has jurisdiction over non-defense federal scientific research and development, which includes issues related to environmental policy and climate change. The aides explained that one of their biggest challenges is budget approval. One important takeaway: You can create and get Congressional approval for a policy with the potential for great beneficial impact, but securing funding for either its enforcement or administration is a whole other challenge.

Another highlight was the chance to meet with members of think tanks and advocacy organizations. We spoke with the Director of Energy and Environmental Policy Studies Travis Fisher and program manager Connor Fogarty, both of the libertarian Cato Institute. They explained how the organization conducts research and gathers data to create reports that aim to influence the development of legislative policy.

And I had the chance to speak with a gentleman who works for the USAID Africa Desk. He gave me a deeper understanding of our country’s formal connections to the continent, where the United States has 60 active “missions,” or diplomatic posts, within the 56 sovereign states of Africa. He explained that individuals who develop expertise on a particular region of the world – something I plan to do as I continue my studies in graudate school - are much needed by the State Department. This opened my eyes to jobs that align with my desire to support the prosperity of African nations and gave me greater confidence than ever in my education and career goals.