From Capitol Hill to Columbia SIPA: How Working in AOC’s Office Prepared Me for Graduate School

The summer before beginning my master’s program at Columbia SIPA, I served as a Legislative Fellow in the office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. That experience became one of the strongest foundations for my graduate studies. Working on Capitol Hill—where policy decisions move quickly, and stakes are high—shaped the way I entered SIPA: more confident, more focused, and far better prepared for an intensive policy program.

Learning Policy from the Inside: In AOC’s office, I worked on foreign policy legislation, drafted memos recommending bill co-sponsorship, and represented the office in meetings and briefings. One of my major projects was leading a 30-page Diaspora Report for New York’s 14th District, analyzing immigrant communities and presenting findings to the legislative team.

The pace was fast, the expectations were high, and every assignment required clarity, accuracy, and strong judgment. Watching staff navigate competing priorities and respond to evolving global events gave me a practical understanding of policymaking that I couldn’t have gained from a classroom alone.

Skills That Carried Directly Into SIPA: When I arrived at SIPA a few weeks later, I immediately noticed how much my Hill experience translated into the classroom. The skills I used daily in Congress—policy writing, synthesizing complex information, and communicating clearly—became essential to my coursework.

What I Would Tell Future SIPA Students: If you're considering SIPA and have experience in policymaking, advocacy, organizing, or campaigns, that background will serve you extremely well. Experiences like working in a congressional office build the skills—clear writing, critical thinking, and comfort in professional environments—that make SIPA’s academic demands more manageable and meaningful. They also help you bring a grounded, real-world lens to discussions about global challenges.