Feeling apathetic about civic life? If so, get ready: Silvia Radulescu ’17 may be coming your way.
“I want to ultimately be that community leader who gets constituents involved and who spreads that motivation to others,” says the senior class president and government major. “In the meantime, I aim to be as involved in the empowerment of citizens as I can, and the first step is by working for an agency that seeks to eliminate corruption in campaigning.”
That would be the New York City Campaign Finance Board, where Radulescu had an internship the summer before her senior year at Hamilton. It’s a nonpartisan, independent city agency with the mission of reducing the potential for corruption.
“I chose government as a major because my ultimate career goal is to become a district attorney – a position which fuses community leadership and prosecution – and because government classes have always been the most engaging for me even as far back as elementary school,” Radulescu says.
During an internship with the district attorney in her hometown, she saw how invested citizens become in their community when leaders and government institutions are dedicated to public service.
“I realized two things,” she says. “First, the political leaders of a community are the ones who set the tone and expectations for the wellbeing of citizens. Second, government agencies and political leaders need citizen engagement. There is strength in numbers.”