Cold Emails and Coffee Chats

In this guest blog post, USF in D.C. Fellow, Mar Ruiz ’27 looks back on his fall semester during a turbulent time of a government shutdown. Learn how Mar’s internship and research led him to a surprising discovery and a conviction to reach out and meet those with expertise and intersectional interests. He shares advice to future fellows and to all of us on a path of public service.

During the Fall semester, I had the opportunity to participate in the USF in DC fellowship offered through the Leo T. McCarthy Center. I was interning as a research intern at the National Coalition on School Diversity (NCSD). Spending a semester in Washington, DC, during a government shutdown and amid national uncertainty following the assassination of Charlie Kirk was both challenging and formative. It placed my work and my reasons for pursuing public service into sharp focus.

At NCSD, my role centered on research and mission-aligned donor outreach. I supported the organization’s efforts to advance equitable, diverse, and inclusive education by helping identify potential funders whose values aligned with NCSD’s work. One of my most meaningful projects involved researching the growing loneliness epidemic in the United States and how it affects integration in our public schools. This research pushed me to think critically about how social isolation intersects with education, community design, and public policy. The work has continued to shape my thinking beyond DC and now informs a potential policy proposal I am developing for the Hawai‘i State Youth Commission.

What stood out most during my time in DC was how the work of public service is profoundly relationship-driven. Through countless coffee chats and informational interviews, I came to understand that policy does not move forward through ideas alone, but through trust, access, and sustained human connection. Expanding my network and forming genuine relationships with professionals across sectors was both refreshing and grounding. These conversations showed me that curiosity, humility, and initiative are not secondary to credentials; they are often what make meaningful collaboration and change possible.

One moment that solidified this lesson was a meeting with a grantmaking strategist from the Walmart Foundation, where I had the opportunity to pitch my research on the loneliness epidemic. Being truly listened to by someone in a position of influence was empowering and affirmed that interns have valuable perspectives to contribute. That experience gave me the confidence to continue reaching out beyond immediate circles. In one instance, I cold-emailed a researcher whose work had deeply informed my understanding of social isolation and asked for a copy of her book so I could continue my research. To my surprise, she responded with generosity and encouragement. Moments like these reinforce that when research is paired with conviction and a willingness to reach out, doors open, not just to opportunity, but to meaningful dialogue and shared purpose.

If I could offer one piece of advice to future USF in DC fellows, it would be this: send the cold email and send the LinkedIn message. Throughout my semester, I made a point to meet with a new professional almost every week, and listened to their stories, how they arrived in DC, the paths they took, and the values that guided their work. These conversations taught me that relationship-building is not about immediately making an ask or treating people as assets, but about showing up with genuine curiosity and respect for their experiences. When approached with sincerity, these connections become spaces for learning, mentorship, and shared purpose. Over time, these connections remind us that lasting change is built through care, presence, and sustained engagement with others.

Interested in becoming a USF in DC Fellow? Learn more!