Earlier this May, Patman Center students visited Washington, D.C. as part of our May-term course, Effective Advocacy for Influencing Federal Policymaking. For a full week, students learned from and networked with some of our Capital's most dedicated advocates, lobbyists and elected officials - many of whom are LBJ alumni - and represented all sides of the partisan spectrum. Students also had the opportunity to moderate conversations with the speakers as an added bonus to their experience.
Students began the week with a briefing on "How Washington Works" with Bill Shute, Executive Director of The LBJ Washington Center and former Vice Chancellor for Federal Relations for The University of Texas System. After that, Steve Eichenauer, Principle at Public Strategies Washington, spoke about his perspective as a professional advocate and what skills you need to be successful in Washington D.C.
"It was interesting to learn firsthand about lobbying for diverse policy priorities from Steven. I appreciated the clear, practical examples he was able to provide, especially when framing issues. Steven’s experience was a reminder that it’s okay to be a generalist and through experiences we will learn, evolve, and end up exactly where we are supposed to be" LBJ student Rachel Bukowski said.
Students finished the day with a conversation at The Brookings Institution with Manann Donoghoe, a senior research associate for Brookings Metro, and Nicki Sullivan, associate director in The Office of the President.
"At the Brookings Institute, Nikki and Manann shared their career journeys and insights. I appreciated their advice to maintain relationships beyond interviews and remain true to our passions and skills," LBJ student Hayley Bosworth said. "As Nikki shared more about her role in Brookings’ operations and strategy, I considered (possibly for the first time) how my skills might best translate within a large organization or think tank."
The next day, students started the morning at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) and met with Michele Stockwell, President of BPC Action, the policy engagement side of BPC. Here, students learned about the importance of bipartisan cooperation and how to find common ground.
"I found the morning session with Michele Stockwell's Bipartisan Policy Advocacy conversation insightful for learning about strategies to encourage collaboration with both sides of the aisle," LBJ student Samuel Hopper said.
The next stop was TechNet for a conversation with Linda Moore, CEO of TechNet and Board Member of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life. Moore spoke about the importance of knowing your opposition when advocating for a cause you care about. Later that afternoon, students visited the Human Rights Campaign where JoDee Winterhof, Senior Vice President of Policy and Political Affairs, spoke about LGBTQ+ advocacy and her long career in politics. Following that, students went to the ACLU for a conversation with Deirdre Schifeling, the Chief Political and Advocacy Officer, about their fight for civil liberties and their strategies for advocating at the federal level.
“I was struck by our speakers’ unanimous positivity and hopefulness for progress despite the challenging policy landscapes they navigate," LBJ student Brianna Fuller said. "A recurring theme throughout the day was the importance of finding common ground. Whether the issue was infrastructure, technology, civil rights, or social justice, each speaker emphasized the need to approach every conversation with an open mind, a clear ask, and a readiness to celebrate even small victories.”
"Today was a powerful reminder that even amidst political gridlock and intense polarization, effective advocacy remains grounded in optimism, strategy, and human connection." - Brianna Fuller, LBJ student
That evening, students from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at UT-Austin met up to explore D.C. through a Monuments at Night tour with us-- a special way to enjoy these national treasures. Even though it was a bit rainy, we were still able to have a fun time!
Wednesday started with students hearing from Nate Norris, the Director of Legislative Affairs at the American Water Works Association about his experience advocating in D.C. After that, students then traveled to Advancing American Freedom to learn about conservative policy advocacy from former Vice President Mike Pence. This was a wonderful opportunity for students to hear from an elected official who had deep experience working in federal policymaking.
“A frequent theme that came up today was leading with integrity," said LBJ student Estefani Marchena. "Mike Pence’s point that ‘adversity reveals character’ stuck with me. It made me think about how I want to show up when things get hard, not just when they’re easy. He mentioned to lead with respect and you don’t have to yell or raise your voice to get your point across, just try to create a human connection with people.”
Later in the day, students visited the Aspen Institute where they met with Elliot Gerson, Executive Vice President of Policy Programs and International Partners, and former U.S. Representative Charlie Dent, who serves as Executive Director and Vice President of the Aspen Institute Congressional Program. Afterwards, students heard about disability rights and advocacy from Claudia Gordon, Chair of the National Council on Disability and Senior Accessibility Strategy Partner at T-Mobile. This day was LBJ student Daniel Moreno's favorite day of the course.
"Meeting with Mike Pence, the Aspen Institute, and Claudia Gordon really taught me the importance of civility, regardless of political beliefs. It reminded me to stay respectful," Moreno said.
Thursday was a day at the U.S. Capitol. It began with coffee with U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R) and his legislative staff. Afterwards, students spent the day learning about federal advocacy from legislative staff from the offices of U.S. Senator John Cornyn and U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (D). U.S. Representative Greg Casar (D) surprised students at the end of the day with a special, unplanned visit. And the Chief of Staff, Cesar Prieto, for U.S. Representative Tony Gonzales (R) spent some time talking to the students about his career journey from U.T. to the U.S. Capitol.
“Spending the day in Washington, D.C. as part of our class on effective federal advocacy was both humbling and affirming. It gave me the chance to meet practitioners who live at the intersection of power and purpose—and reminded me why I chose to pursue public service at this stage in my life,” LBJ student Chris Wilkins said.
On the last day of the course, students started the morning with Heather Higginbottom, Head of Research, Policy and Insights for Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase. The final session of the course was about working in the White House with Emmy Ruiz, former senior advisor to President Biden and Director of the Office of Political Strategy and Outreach.
Students ended the May-Term by touring the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument and visiting the National Archives to see our country's founding documents. At the end of the course, students write advocacy plans about an issue they care about intregrating skills and lessons learned.
“When applying to the LBJ School, I had considered the DC concentration...but ultimately decided I wanted two years in Austin with a full course of elective opportunities. This Maymester feels like the ideal medium to still learn from and experience the LBJ-DC network.” - Lela Lerner, LBJ student.
If you're interested in learning more about this course or joining us next year, visit our May-Term page for more information!