Intern Spotlight- Elizabeth Fox
As an aspiring attorney, I was initially wary when offered an internship at Jersey 1st. I am passionate about politics, but it was always something I told myself I would keep as an interest, not a career. Similarly, I was concerned that an internship in politics might limit my future job opportunities; I worried about being perceived as associated with a particular set of beliefs or party. However, as I learned more about the program, I became excited at the prospect of doing impactful work in the policy field and speaking to and learning from people who have influence in the political sector—be it legislators, lawyers, or businessmen. As I began my summer, this excitement was only amplified. I started to realize that this organization isn’t about associating with a political party or supporting particular campaigns—it’s about working to improve the lives of the people of New Jersey. As we began work on our project, I learned that many of the policies Jersey 1st advocates for align closely with my values.
Much of the research my team and I conducted in the beginning weeks involved diving deeply into business-related policies, both in New Jersey and nationwide. For a while, I felt like I was doing profuse research that only skimmed the surface of the problems we were trying to solve; but as I spent more time analyzing policy and our larger project started to take shape, I began to feel less like I was learning about existing policy and more as though I was creating something new. I was—and still am—working with my team to create policy ideas by combining principles of what I have researched and learning what would be best for New Jersey’s future generations. The work I’ve done at Jersey 1st goes beyond any kind of project or research I’ve done for school; I’m working with other thoughtful and passionate interns to create something unique that has the potential to make real impact, a sentiment that is only amplified by the experiences I’ve had meeting with legislators, think tanks, and businesspeople. I’ve learned through my conversations with these professionals and collaboration with my coworkers that all of us involved are united not by ideology, but by the belief that New Jersey can do better, and that we can make this happen.
My work at Jersey 1st has not only ignited a new passion for state politics, but it’s also reignited old passions for public service. I see now that my work here is not at all boxing me in—it’s opening me up to new interests, expanding my perspective, and reminding me why I care about this work in the first place.
