Archer Fellowship Program Alumni Profiles
Brakeyshia R. Samms
Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Internship: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Department of Justice
Education
The University of Texas at Tyler
B.S. Political Science, B.S. History; May 2012
George Mason University
Master of Public Policy; May 2014
Career
Associate at Pew Charitable Trusts
State Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - previous
Fall 2011 Archer Fellow
Internship: Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Department of Justice
Education
The University of Texas at Tyler
B.S. Political Science, B.S. History; May 2012
George Mason University
Master of Public Policy; May 2014
Career
Associate at Pew Charitable Trusts
State Fellow, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities - previous
“The program builds character and confidence. Because of the Archer Fellowship, I learned that I could be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in the country, and not only understand what they were saying, but have an opinion that they valued, which, to this very day, is incredible and truly humbling.
Q & A with Brakeyshia
Can you tell us more about your current position?
Specifically, within Pew, I work with the Fiscal Federalism Initiative, where I support our work on illustrating the connection between federal and state finances to enrich policy debates about the long-term stability of all levels of government. My responsibilities range from data collection and analysis to writing background memos and policy analyses. My work involves investigating the policy landscape of different issues and evaluating it to see if our analysis can inform the policy debate, which can be quite exhilarating.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
I interned on the Hill with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), where I worked with the finance team and was exposed to the world of political fundraising. My main responsibility was to support staff through direct interaction with donors and congressional members, which was done through fundraising calls, managing our donor relations software, and promoting DCCC events to congressional offices. My other internship was the U.S. Department of Justice, where I worked on Tribal Affairs within the Office of Justice Programs. My main responsibility was to support the production of a training aimed at building better relationships between Native Americans and the federal government. These were two drastically different internships, but without a doubt gave me the professional skills to be successful.
What has been your general career path?
After I graduated, I went straight to graduate school at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy, where I cemented my interest in public budgeting and finance and was able to navigate my next steps. After I earned my degree, I was one of five selected nationwide for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ State Policy Fellowship, which is a two-year postgraduate program aimed at producing successful fiscal policy analysts. During the program, I worked with the Center for Public Policy Priorities, where I mainly conducted research, published reports, wrote op-eds and presented legislative testimony related to Texas budget and tax policies. After my fellowship ended, I wanted to work for an organization that was committed to informing and influencing policy debates by conducting rigorous research and data analysis. Pew fit the mold.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
You learn a lot about yourself when you must work 40-hours a week, attend class, get to know your cohort and get to know the city. The program builds character and confidence. Because of the Archer Fellowship, I learned that I could be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in the country, and not only understand what they were saying, but have an opinion that they valued, which, to this very day, is incredible and truly humbling.
What did you value the most about your AFP experience?
Navigating a new city, interning, and taking classes, all while trying to figure out my long-term professional and personal goals, was quite daunting. When I reflect on what I valued the most during my experience as an Archer Fellow, three words come to mind: structured life exploration. The program allowed me to think through new ideas and investigate my personal interests, all while learning more about leading a life of public service through classroom activities, local events and day-to-day conversations with my classmates. Basically, I was the architect of my dreams, and the program helped me build a strong foundation.
What do you value the most about being an alumna?
The best thing about being an Archer Fellow alumna is that the fellowship aspect of the program has continued since the end of my semester. The Archer Center staff and Archer Fellow Alumni Association (AFAA) investment in making sure alumni connect with each other makes being an alum exciting and worthwhile. Through AFAA community service projects or networking events, I have met a lot of brilliant and passionate people. The intentional cross-pollination of fellowship classes reminds me that, as participants in the program, our common commitment to public service is authentic and creates bridges between classes.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
Halfway through the semester, basically when everybody found out that I was an expert at making macaroni and cheese from scratch, we hosted dinners every Sunday night. I still miss that to this very day. The variety of discussions we had still entertain and enlighten me. Seriously, we would go from discussing the latest sports scores to having deeply intellectual discussions about domestic and global public policy issues. We were not armchair analysts. Our internships provided us with unique insights on the solutions being debated in all three branches of government plus in research organizations.
Can you tell us more about your current position?
Specifically, within Pew, I work with the Fiscal Federalism Initiative, where I support our work on illustrating the connection between federal and state finances to enrich policy debates about the long-term stability of all levels of government. My responsibilities range from data collection and analysis to writing background memos and policy analyses. My work involves investigating the policy landscape of different issues and evaluating it to see if our analysis can inform the policy debate, which can be quite exhilarating.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
I interned on the Hill with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), where I worked with the finance team and was exposed to the world of political fundraising. My main responsibility was to support staff through direct interaction with donors and congressional members, which was done through fundraising calls, managing our donor relations software, and promoting DCCC events to congressional offices. My other internship was the U.S. Department of Justice, where I worked on Tribal Affairs within the Office of Justice Programs. My main responsibility was to support the production of a training aimed at building better relationships between Native Americans and the federal government. These were two drastically different internships, but without a doubt gave me the professional skills to be successful.
What has been your general career path?
After I graduated, I went straight to graduate school at George Mason University’s School of Public Policy, where I cemented my interest in public budgeting and finance and was able to navigate my next steps. After I earned my degree, I was one of five selected nationwide for the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ State Policy Fellowship, which is a two-year postgraduate program aimed at producing successful fiscal policy analysts. During the program, I worked with the Center for Public Policy Priorities, where I mainly conducted research, published reports, wrote op-eds and presented legislative testimony related to Texas budget and tax policies. After my fellowship ended, I wanted to work for an organization that was committed to informing and influencing policy debates by conducting rigorous research and data analysis. Pew fit the mold.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
You learn a lot about yourself when you must work 40-hours a week, attend class, get to know your cohort and get to know the city. The program builds character and confidence. Because of the Archer Fellowship, I learned that I could be in the same room as some of the brightest minds in the country, and not only understand what they were saying, but have an opinion that they valued, which, to this very day, is incredible and truly humbling.
What did you value the most about your AFP experience?
Navigating a new city, interning, and taking classes, all while trying to figure out my long-term professional and personal goals, was quite daunting. When I reflect on what I valued the most during my experience as an Archer Fellow, three words come to mind: structured life exploration. The program allowed me to think through new ideas and investigate my personal interests, all while learning more about leading a life of public service through classroom activities, local events and day-to-day conversations with my classmates. Basically, I was the architect of my dreams, and the program helped me build a strong foundation.
What do you value the most about being an alumna?
The best thing about being an Archer Fellow alumna is that the fellowship aspect of the program has continued since the end of my semester. The Archer Center staff and Archer Fellow Alumni Association (AFAA) investment in making sure alumni connect with each other makes being an alum exciting and worthwhile. Through AFAA community service projects or networking events, I have met a lot of brilliant and passionate people. The intentional cross-pollination of fellowship classes reminds me that, as participants in the program, our common commitment to public service is authentic and creates bridges between classes.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
Halfway through the semester, basically when everybody found out that I was an expert at making macaroni and cheese from scratch, we hosted dinners every Sunday night. I still miss that to this very day. The variety of discussions we had still entertain and enlighten me. Seriously, we would go from discussing the latest sports scores to having deeply intellectual discussions about domestic and global public policy issues. We were not armchair analysts. Our internships provided us with unique insights on the solutions being debated in all three branches of government plus in research organizations.
