Archer Fellowship Program Alumni Profiles
Robby Teas
Spring 2014 Archer Fellow
Internship: The Wilderness Society
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. Geography; May 2014
Career
Research Assistant at the Consulate General of Ireland
Legislative Aide to Texas State Representative Jim Murphy - previous
Spring 2014 Archer Fellow
Internship: The Wilderness Society
Education
The University of Texas at Austin
B.A. Geography; May 2014
Career
Research Assistant at the Consulate General of Ireland
Legislative Aide to Texas State Representative Jim Murphy - previous
“My favorite Archer Fellowship Program memory would have to be getting to hear President Obama speak in person on the South Lawn of the White House in sub-twenty-degree weather with a few hundred other people (including some of my Archer Fellow peers), all of whom were just as cold but just as excited."
Q & A with Robby
Please tell us more about your current position.
My job with the Irish Consulate is incredibly multifaceted. We are a small Consulate, so my work is often different from day to day. I assist Irish citizens with questions they may have about their passports or visas, issue emergency travel documents when needed, liaise with local and state officials, and even host Irish public officials from time to time. Our Consular region consists of seven states, so it is also my responsibility to stay up-to-date on any changes in the political landscape of each state within our representation.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
As a Policy and Government Affairs intern for The Wilderness Society, I assisted the Government Affairs team with a wide range of tasks that included meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to lobby for environmental legislation, researching and analyzing federal budgets, keeping tabs on legislation of interest to the organization and its members, meeting with officials from federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, and even organizing local support for the designation of new public lands and monuments around the country.
What has been your general career path?
Since earning my degree, my career path has stayed within the public sector. After graduating, I worked in the Texas House of Representatives before coming to work at the Irish Consulate nearly two years ago. I hope to remain in the public or non-profit sector, where I can keep working at least partially with policy and politics, as those have always been my favorite aspects of any job I've had.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My experience as an Archer Fellow greatly impacted my professional path and goals by helping me realize that working to solve problems relating to issues I care about and helping people on a day-to-day basis are why I want to stay in the public/non-profit sector as I continue my career path. Being around people who felt the same way, in both my internship and my Archer Fellow class, served to reinforce this notion.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship Program experience?
More than anything, I value the lifelong connections I made during my time as an Archer Fellow with my peers as well as the Archer Center faculty and staff.
What do you value the most about being an alumnus?
Being an Archer Fellowship Program alum has so many positive aspects, but I think that I most value the opportunities I have to support younger generations of Archer Fellows through my role as Outreach Committee Co-Chair on the AFAA Leadership Board.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My favorite Archer Fellowship Program memory would have to be getting to hear President Obama speak in person on the South Lawn of the White House in sub-twenty degree weather with a few hundred other people (including some of my Archer Fellow peers), all of whom were just as cold but just as excited.
Please tell us more about your current position.
My job with the Irish Consulate is incredibly multifaceted. We are a small Consulate, so my work is often different from day to day. I assist Irish citizens with questions they may have about their passports or visas, issue emergency travel documents when needed, liaise with local and state officials, and even host Irish public officials from time to time. Our Consular region consists of seven states, so it is also my responsibility to stay up-to-date on any changes in the political landscape of each state within our representation.
Please tell us more about your Archer Fellowship Program internship.
As a Policy and Government Affairs intern for The Wilderness Society, I assisted the Government Affairs team with a wide range of tasks that included meeting with members of Congress on Capitol Hill to lobby for environmental legislation, researching and analyzing federal budgets, keeping tabs on legislation of interest to the organization and its members, meeting with officials from federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service, and even organizing local support for the designation of new public lands and monuments around the country.
What has been your general career path?
Since earning my degree, my career path has stayed within the public sector. After graduating, I worked in the Texas House of Representatives before coming to work at the Irish Consulate nearly two years ago. I hope to remain in the public or non-profit sector, where I can keep working at least partially with policy and politics, as those have always been my favorite aspects of any job I've had.
How has your experience as an Archer Fellow influenced your career path and goals?
My experience as an Archer Fellow greatly impacted my professional path and goals by helping me realize that working to solve problems relating to issues I care about and helping people on a day-to-day basis are why I want to stay in the public/non-profit sector as I continue my career path. Being around people who felt the same way, in both my internship and my Archer Fellow class, served to reinforce this notion.
What did you value the most about your Archer Fellowship Program experience?
More than anything, I value the lifelong connections I made during my time as an Archer Fellow with my peers as well as the Archer Center faculty and staff.
What do you value the most about being an alumnus?
Being an Archer Fellowship Program alum has so many positive aspects, but I think that I most value the opportunities I have to support younger generations of Archer Fellows through my role as Outreach Committee Co-Chair on the AFAA Leadership Board.
What is your favorite memory as an Archer Fellow?
My favorite Archer Fellowship Program memory would have to be getting to hear President Obama speak in person on the South Lawn of the White House in sub-twenty degree weather with a few hundred other people (including some of my Archer Fellow peers), all of whom were just as cold but just as excited.
