Honors alumni Lindsay Robbins ’18 (left) and Lily McFeeters ’16 (right).

 

By: Sheariah Yousefi, Honors College Alumni, ’13 

For decades, the Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF), operated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, has been the Federal government’s premier leadership development program specifically for advanced degree candidates or graduates. Designed to develop the next leaders in government, those selected for admittance into the prestigious PMF program are given the title PMF Finalists and are eligible to apply for positions within participating agencies. Upon receiving an appointment with an agency, PMF Finalists transition in title to “fellows” and thus begin their 2-year career with the federal government.

For this month’s feature, the Honors College (HC) is proud to highlight not one but two PMF program fellows from our alumni base. Providing insight and guidance, both fellows describe in detail the journey they took through the program and how it has impacted their life.

Lindsay Robbins — Presidential Management Fellow, Current

Majoring in International Studies and minoring in Economics and Spanish, Lindsay graduated from Towson University (TU) in 2018 and from the University of Maryland (UMD) with a graduate degree in Public Policy in 2021. During her final UMD year, Lindsay applied to the PMF program and upon acceptance, received her initial placement with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Although currently working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services supporting the implementation of the No Surprises Act, her passion for immigration, especially as it relates to youth development and issues faced by refugees, is the focus field which she hopes to pursue.

In fact, this passion grew and manifested in the work she completed with the TU organization Students Helping Honduras. For each of her 4 years at TU, Lindsay traveled to Honduras, where she learned firsthand how extreme poverty and violence impacts the population. Many of the Hondurans she had the privilege of working with were children, whose vulnerability left an impact on her that deepened her desire to serve. It, therefore, comes as no surprise that when she was awarded another opportunity serve, she jumped at the chance; after graduating from TU, she worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA at the Esperanza Center in Baltimore, which is a comprehensive resource center for immigrants. While at the center, she helped coordinate the Youth ESOL program, which provides immigrant children with the opportunity to learn English in after-school or summer programs. She loved her time there and fondly recalls the importance it played in her life.

Although currently not working on immigration policy, Lindsay shared how a passion to serve, especially those most vulnerable, resides at the core of what she does, from assisting the implementation of policy to leading a life of civic service. In every facet, she leans in, takes advantage of opportunities, and works to make a difference, and this is an approach she strongly encourages HC students pursue. Whether it takes the form of independent studies and internships or study abroad and volunteer opportunities, Lindsay encourages HC students to dig deep, put in the work, “do your part and do as much as you can.”

If you would like to contact Lindsay, you may do so at lmrobbins11@gmail.com.

Lily McFeeters – Presidential Management Fellow, Alumnus

Graduating from TU in 2016, Lily double majored in International Studies and Asian Studies and minored in Political Science and Spanish. Before attending TU, Lily participated in the High School Model United Nations that Dr. Alison McCartney currently organizes, hosts, and leads at TU. The experience was incredible, and it was from this and her connection with Dr. McCartney that she decided upon TU.

After getting her master’s degree in Asian Studies at Georgetown University, Lily began work with the PMF program. Throughout the 2-year period with PMF, she conducted three rotations all within the International Trade Administration at the Department of Commerce. The experience was invaluable as it offered a variety of viewpoints and increased her adaptability. Throughout the rotations, one common theme was the exposure to technology policy. Due to the combination of her experiences in the PMF rotations, Lily grew to appreciate the importance of technology policy throughout every aspect of international relations. In fact, after she completed the PMF program, she began pursuing a job in this field and recently accepted a position with the Office of Multilateral Affairs at the U.S. Department of State (State). In her position, Lily develops and implements U.S. policy positions related to the digital economy and emerging digital technologies, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI) in multilateral forums such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad), the Group of 7 (G7), the Group of 20 (G20), and the International Telecommunications Union at the United Nations.

Regarding her time at the HC, Lily shared that one class and assigned course book stood out to her the most. The class in question, “Reforming Urban Schools,” was taught by Dr. Jessica Shiller and the book was Brown in Baltimore by Howell Baum. For Lily, not only did the academic association of the class offer vital content and cultural awareness, but the book proved to be a guide that engaged students in intensive, comprehensive understanding of life in Baltimore. Working with Baltimore City students at a charter school was particularly impactful for her.

In addition to the class serving as a lasting impact, Lily also notes that in her current position with State, she puts into practice what she learned from Dr. McCartney regarding multilateral negotiations, particularly what was taught during the ICONS course. As Lily shared, “I am incredibly grateful for all the support I received from Dr. McCartney throughout my journey going from the 2010 High School Model UN at Towson to now serving as a Multilateral Engagement Officer at State.” For Lily, her life has been impacted greatly by the HC and the invested faculty members who daily serve students in the program. She’s thankful the HC offered her the opportunity to pursue passions and grow in her field of study.

If you would like to contact Lily, you may do so at LilyMcFeeters@gmail.com.

Thank you Lindsay and Lily for sharing your experiences with us!

About the author: Sheariah is a founding member of the Honors Alumni Council and creator of the Alumni Feature. She began writing the features while she and her husband lived in South Korea but more recently, she completes the interviews and stories from her home here in Maryland. Sheariah currently serves as the Chief of Staff for State Delegate Mike Griffith and is the Vice-Chair of the Harford County Young Republicans.

From left to right: TU-BCPS Model UN Program Manager Michele Calderon, Honors Faculty Director Dr. Alison McCartney, APSA President-elect John Ishiyama, TU Honors student Madeleine Meyer, and TU alumnus Connor Cameron at the organization’s annual meeting in Seattle, Washington.

 

Honors College Faculty Director and professor of political science, Dr. Alison Rios Millett McCartney, and Honors College senior, Madeleine Meyer, presented their work at the American Political Science Association annual meeting and exhibition in Seattle, Washington. Founded in 1903, the American Political Science Association (APSA) is the leading professional organization for the study of political science and serves more than 11,000 members in more than 100 countries. This year’s theme was “Promoting Pluralism,” and the TU pair presented their work titled “Converting a Large Service-Learning Event to an Online Format During Covid: Surviving and Thriving” Their research looked at the TU-Baltimore County Public School Model UN program and how the initiative was transitioned to an online format this past year due to the pandemic. Madeleine’s side of the project was also selected for a TU Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry Summer Research Grant award which included a $5000 research stipend. The team also recently presented their work at the European Consortium on Political Research annual conference virtually in early September.

Dr. McCartney and Madeleine shared their experience with the project and at ASPA with us below.

1. Tell us a bit more about the project. What did you look at and what were some of the key findings?

AM: Whereas the Model UN type of event is decades old, the TU-BCPS Model UN was founded in 2002 as a partnership of equity and opportunity wherein no BCPS or TU student would be excluded from participation because of their personal or economic circumstances. Other types of Model UN conferences cost participants thousands of dollars, but our version is free thanks to support from TU and BCPS. Each year, it includes about 300 high school students from 21 schools across 3 counties and dozens of TU students and alumni who work together to expand their global learning, civic engagement, key skills for their futures, and, for the high schoolers, college readiness. Our 2020 conference was held the weekend before the shutdown, and we had had such success — especially with students from underserved populations–that we didn’t want to pause.  So, we adapted every part of the conference and the November Training Day to an accessible and engaging online format. This process was challenging in many ways, particularly when one considers that Zoom was not as versatile as it is now when we started the planning. But we were strongly committed to continuing to provide this important learning and development resource for students, as those who needed it the most had no other opportunities during the pandemic. Indeed, the participants really enjoyed the experience, and the success of the conference has emboldened us to continue, whether we are in person or online, as we hit our 20th year. One great story was a team representing Vanuatu from Western High who won several awards and showed that you don’t have to be one of the big, powerful countries to have a huge impact on the development of international policies and programs.  Another story was a student from Milford Mill High who had repeated trouble with his internet connection due to his location; yet, he persisted and won an award for public speaking.

2. Was there anything that surprised you in the findings?

AM: One of the things that surprised me was how many high school participants reported high levels of learning and development of leadership skills from the conference. More than 87% of students reported that Model UN helped them develop research skills and 81% indicated that they developed leadership skills. These are great percentages, especially considering that students gained these skills while participating fully online!

3. Now that you have this data, do you plan to adapt parts of the program to continue in an online fashion in the future? 

AM: Yes! Another surprising aspect was the high amount of high school participants, TU students, and TU alumni who found the new online pre-conference training nights, created and run by Maddie and alumni Connor Cameron, as so useful. That’s an innovation that we are keeping!

4. What was it like to present your project on a national stage?

MM: I was initially nervous about presenting on a national stage and to an audience of academics and scholars who have completed significant research on service-learning programs and clubs for years. Given that I’m only an undergraduate student, I wasn’t sure that my research and its application wouldn’t be advanced enough to generate interest among our panel’s attendees. However, everyone who I encountered was extremely kind and supportive of the work I’ve done alongside Dr. McCartney and I received many congratulations for completing undergraduate research and attending APSA. I really enjoyed my experience not only presenting my work, but also seeing other academics present their research and having the ability to network and discuss their findings!

5. What advice do you have for other TU Honors students looking to get started with a research project?

AM: Come to the Undergraduate Research Club meetings to learn how to get involved and develop a project, and be open to opportunity!

MM: Be open to opportunity! You never know where your passions may lie, so take advantage of learning opportunities the Honors College and your professors may offer to you. Also, don’t be afraid to network and express your interests with professors and other students. They may be able to open doors for you that you wouldn’t have otherwise been able to open.

6. Final thoughts from Dr. McCartney.

AM: I am so very proud of Maddie’s ability to work in a high-level professional context. Not only did she excel in her own part of our presentation, she also engaged in presentations by faculty from around the world and showed the depth of intellectual development of TU Honors College students. I couldn’t have made it through last year without her creative and innovative contributions, and I am so pleased to work with again her this year.

Congratulations to Dr. McCartney, Madeleine Meyer, Michele Calderon, and TU alumnus Connor Cameron on your research and presentation!