Fellowship with Thiru Vignarajah's Baltimore City Mayoral Campaign

By Ellie Gustafson, Justice and Legal Thought

My internship has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has sharpened my writing skills, honed my policy analysis, made me a more effective communicator, and, most importantly, sparked my love for campaigns.

My internship has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has sharpened my writing skills, honed my policy analysis, made me a more effective communicator, and, most importantly, sparked my love for campaigns. I work at Thiru for Baltimore’s mayoral campaign as Head of Outreach. I manage policy development, plan events and coordinate constituent engagement efforts, fundraise, design graphics, and help out whenever need be -- at this stage of the race, it’s all hands on deck. Our staff is truly a family and we all help each other wherever is needed -- so I’m fluent in press communication, social media engagement, and a lot of upper management.

It was like a year-long case study about the deficits and issues in one of the most complex cities in America, and there’s nothing more rewarding than being a part of the solution.

During my time on the campaign I’ve realized that I thrive in a team environment and in a fast-paced, sometimes unpredictable and chaotic work environment. The day-to-day of a campaign is so invigorating and keeps you on your toes -- that’s what’s most rewarding about it as well. I’ve learned so much from Thiru, the candidate, about leadership, and from my bosses about policy, teamwork, and communication.

I have met amazing people, heard their stores, and been welcomed into their homes. They have all shaped my worldview in their own unique way.

Our team is full of policy wonks, so we delved deeper into the specifics than most campaigns. It was like a year-long case study about the deficits and issues in one of the most complex cities in America, and there’s nothing more rewarding than being a part of the solution. I have met amazing people, heard their stores, and been welcomed into their homes. They have all shaped my worldview in their own unique way. I have also made incredible professional connections across all sectors, for which I am very grateful.