Tosheania Phoenix

My family and I received many social services provided from the government (Section 8, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income, Head Start, etc.). From a young age, it had always been clear to me that I would take a traditional, educational route to secure a stable, well-paying job. During my last year of high school, I realized that I wanted to work on, influence, and better the services that helped me to survive. Working for ACF in HHS through the Pathways to Public Service program has been a dream come true and is not something I take for granted!

The thing that most excites me about the Pathways to Public Service internship is having the opportunity to do contribute high-quality work to incredibly important programs and policies and being able to learn from dedicated, public servants. 

My education, both at the undergraduate and graduate level, has given me the knowledge to couple with my lived experiences regarding social inequities and the skillset to do the actual work (i.e., project management, policy analysis, literature review, etc.)

This program, particularly the people at ACF, has empowered me to take initiative. I have done nearly 10 informational interviews over the past month, have gotten a mentor to guide me as I secure a permanent position at ACF, and have built wonderful relationships with the individuals I collaborate with daily.