Roosevelt | Jacob T Schmidgall

The Roosevelt Institution

Jacob T Schmidgall

http://rooseveltinstitution.org/user/4478/jacob_t_schmidgall

Policy interests: Human rights, Social policy

Fellow, Young People For, 2007
Young People For is a program by People for the American Way that provides a national infrastructure to support young leaders’ ongoing activism and facilitates connections to leaders and organizations in the progressive movement.

Throughout the year, the YP4 team works with the current Fellows, offering financial and technical assistance to implement campus or community focused Blueprints for Social Justice. In addition to the support Fellows receive to work toward social justice goals, Fellows have the opportunity to:

Enroll in career development, issue and skills courses through the Progressive Academy Online
Learn from each other and national experts through monthly virtual town hall meetings
Attend national progressive conferences
Help coordinate quarterly regional progressive conferences for other young leaders and activists
Partner with a mentor in the progressive community.

Member, Community Outreach and Advocacy for Refugees, 2006 to 2007
COAR is a program that assists resettled refugees, providing anchor families and mentors to ease their transition into their new lives in the United States. As a mentor, I am helping a young refugee on his path to attending college.

Through workshops and meetings, I:

Help him locate and apply for scholarships and grants

Assist him in filling out the FAFSA and applying for student aid

Aid him in narrowing down the choice of which college or university he would like to attend, and help him apply for it

Offer him my experience in writing a personal statement and a resume

Provide a support system he can rely on for any of his needs as he continues his higher education.

Member, Student Public Policy Forum, 2005 to 2006
The Student Public Policy Forum (SPPF) is a co-curricular program of the Maricopa Community College District. It teaches and trains a small number of hand-picked students about the intricacies of public policy development and implementation in preparation for a trip to Washington D.C. to attend a conference and meet with Senators, Congressmen, and their respective staffs. I was selected to become a member in the Fall of 2005 and the trip to D.C. took place in February of 2006.

Through regular workshops, meetings and field trips, I:

Learned about the various education policy issues facing college students and how to be an effective advocate for their solutions.
Developed leadership skills through training sessions with experienced lobbyists, local and state government officials, and educators.
Became familiar with the ins and outs of legislation formation and implementation and the effects of non-government interests, including students, on their development.

Member, Phoenix College Model United Nations. Fall 2005
As a member of the Phoenix College Model UN, my teammates and I trained for a number of months before attending an international conference in Chicago in November of 2005. At the conference we split into pairs to attend as many sessions as possible, and ultimately were voted by our fellow delegates “Outstanding Delegation”.

Through training sessions prior to the conference, and the conference itself, I:

Broadened my understanding of international issues, particularly those dealing with the Rights of the Child.
Cultivated my teamwork skills and strengthened my interpersonal communication abilities.
Learned about the various facets of the United Nations, its impact on world affairs, and the importance of global cooperation.