Connections from the West Coast to the East Coast

I attended the PLEN Women in Public Policy seminar after a friend of mine suggested that I look into it. The fellow students and professionals who I met, the presenters who spoke, and the panelists that discussed their paths, all made the experience worthwhile and impactful.

In the past I had spent a summer interning in Washington, DC. That summer was a great time to experience a DC office and to get a taste of what it feels like to be a young professional in the city. However, for this West Coaster from a large public university, navigating an East-coast town of tight connections can be a daunting challenge. Interning in DC, I was able to become somewhat familiar with various unspoken rules of the professional segment of the city. PLEN gave me an up-close look at a wide swath of professionals in the city and their career paths. Interacting with students from around the country helped me to learn about the goals of individuals with similar interests to my own. Learning from DC professionals, alongside peers, helped me to better understand how DC operates, and how I may navigate it.

As I move forward in my education and career plans, I find it comforting and uplifting to remember that a community of successful professional women are invested in and convinced of my ability to do impactful work in the public policy field.

Wren Greaney attended the PLEN Women in Public Policy seminar during her senior year at the University of California, Davis. She graduated in 2017 with a major in History.