Finding My Role in Public Service

Benjamin Getchell ’25 is a Politics major with an Environmental Science and a Public Service and Community Engagement minor. Reflecting on his time during his McCarthy Fellows in Sacramento internship this past summer, Benjamin was able to work with his fellow colleagues and find his role in public service.

Everyone has a role to play in the public service. Throughout our lives, we will all come to play one of the many roles that exist in service to the public. For some of us, this role is very direct; working in government, volunteering for our community, or speaking up for those we care about. Others will go along paths that will have more indirect involvement; donating to local organizations, voting in elections, or simply discussing our goals for a common good. Not everyone will go down the same path nor stay on that path for their entire life, but it is important to recognize the work we each do and to share the roles each of us play.

My time as a McCarthy Fellow in Sacramento was one of the most enriching experiences of my young life. I had the opportunity to intern with the California Department of Conservation, working to effectively manage and protect our precious natural resources. It was an incredible opportunity to get hands-on experience working with public servants who labor tirelessly to maintain the natural beauty that exists across the state. While the opportunity was amazing, the work alone was not the highlight of my summer. Getting to know the personal stories of each of the other McCarthy fellows and listening as they discussed their fellowships — is the learning that will stay with me for years to come.

Every time the fellows got together to discuss our challenges, successes, projects, joys, fears, or experiences with each of our fellowships, I felt as if I was learning alongside them. Our fellowships ranged from legislative accessibility start-ups to government commissions on health. Our majors and minors were in STEM, humanities, and everything in between. Our backgrounds came from multiple states, graduation classes, and passions. Each of us brought new and interesting perspectives to our shared learning environment, and I think we all benefited from it. Each of us will surely go into different sectors of academia and professional life, but we will all undoubtedly, play a role in public service.

What drove me to join the McCarthy Center, add the Public Service and Community Engagement minor, and take part in two of the center’s programs, was the center’s dedication to the person. In my study of politics, I am easily lost in the weeds of political theory and the history of political systems. What helps ground me and center my goals in the field is the focus on the people who play a part in the system. Having such a diverse and wide-ranging group of people turned this program from a solely academic and professional one into something that will influence how I conceptualize my role in public service for a lifetime.

I do not know what my life will look like after I graduate. I may venture into a governmental role, a standard business role, or something devoid of the traditional public service world entirely. No matter what, I will bring this experience with me. I will carry the key tenets of public service and advocacy for the marginalized with me. Learning from my fellow students has made me a more capable, humble, and empathetic person.

In our time at USF, I think we often focus too much on academics and can lose sight of the people and systems we are working to help or contribute to. I often feel as if I am simply focusing on the next assignment rather than the point of my education. It is programs like this one that help bring perspective and guidance to the goals of studying at our lofty institutions. And the most important aspect of these programs is the people involved. My experience would not be the same without all the people in the program that supported me. Everyone has a role to play in public service. It is programs like this one that help guide us to play that role to the best of our ability.