Thank you Dr. Reed and Dr. Thomkin. I am so honored to be here this evening.

Congratulations new associate members and members of Pi Sigma Alpha!

In my completely unbiased opinion, Washington, DC—our nation’s capitol—is the best place in the world to study political science. And Trinity College is the best place in Washington, DC to study political science.

I decided to attend Trinity College after several of the other schools in DC told me that they encouraged you to consider doing an internship during your senior year. At Trinity I so distinctly remember Dr. Reed saying, “Well, we don’t encourage first semester freshmen to intern, but after that we’ll help you find an internship and you will earn credit for it.” And so I came to Trinity. During the 2nd Semester of my freshmen year I had my first internship at the DCCC, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Tonight we are here to honor the new members of Pi Sigma Alpha. The Pi Sigma Alpha web site says that one of the purposes of this honor society is “to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interest in political science.” If being at Trinity College, in Washington, DC during a presidential election year isn’t enough to stimulate scholarship and intelligent interest in political science, then I don’t know what is!

So, here you are, official members of Pi Sigma Alpha, living in Washington, DC, attending Trinity College. Right now the political world truly is at your feet.

Take advantage of it!

There are so many ways to do that as a student at Trinity College. From my own personal experience, I am here to tell you that one of the best ways to take advantage of all the opportunities you have is through internships.

Tonight urge you to intern early and often and to give every task at your internship 100% of your effort.

First: intern early and often. At the DCCC in the second semester of my freshmen year at Trinity, the other intern in my office was a senior at American University. This was his first internship and he was going to graduate one week after the internship ended. As a graduating senior, he had the same experience that I had as a Trinity freshman. Imagine how much further ahead of the game I was three years later when I graduated!

My husband, Abel, who is here this evening is doing wonderful work as the government affairs coordinator at a non-profit organization that helps people buy homes. Abel studied political science at The Ohio State University in Columbus, OH. He came to DC in 1999 with his degree and no internship experience or actual political experience whatsoever. As a college graduate, Abel’s first position in DC was an unpaid internship. Of course, he has worked his way up to a fabulous career in politics and, as I said, is doing great work.

I tell you these stories, not to belittle AU’s political science department or to brag about my husband, but to illustrate an important point. At Trinity College, you have the opportunity to be ahead of every other political science major at every other college or university across the country! Take advantage of your opportunity to intern! Intern early and often!!

At these internships that you will do, or at the one you are doing right now, perhaps: give 100% effort every single day, on every single task. Treat each task as though the election or an important piece of legislation depends on it!

On your first day, you may have stars in your eyes about the glory of working for an important member of congress or party committee or lobbying organization. I assure you that reality will quickly set in and you will soon realize that as an intern, you are working in the trenches—copying, faxing, making phone calls, and so many very mundane tasks.

As someone who has had many interns over the years—the phone calls, faxes, and copies you are making are critical! You will be a successful intern if you treat each one of those tasks as critical. And, if you take the opportunity to learn from everything you do.

Copying an entire book? Read it! Answering the phone? Get to know the names of the people who are calling. You will learn a great deal if you take every opportunity to learn. And, the more you know and the more successful you are at the small tasks, the more responsibility you will be given!

Your internships and your time at Trinity College will be over before you know it. Very soon you will receive your diploma from President McGuire. I am sure that some of you will go on to have fabulous and exciting political careers—perhaps we have our third member of congress sitting in this very room! Some of you will go on to law school or another graduate degree and others may change fields entirely, never working in the realm of political science. But, as a Trinity College alum, as a Member of Pi Sigma Alpha, and as citizens of the world, you have a responsibility to be active, educated, and involved citizens.

I recently finished the new book by Moveon.org, a fabulous grass roots political organization. If you don’t know about Moveon.org, I encourage you to visit their web site, www.moveon.org. I also encourage you to read their new book, 50 Ways to Love your Country. It is very inspiring.

Our fabulous Trinity sister, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi introduces a section of the book entitled “Political Action is Personal.” She writes, “Each generation has a responsibility to make the future better for the next. Every one of us has an individual responsibility to do our part. How we make our contribution to a better future is a personal decision.”

We must listen to her. Every person in this room has an individual responsibility to do our part.

Tonight, I suggest three ways for each of us to do that: vote, stay educated, and give back.

1. Vote. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to hear Desmond Tutu, Archbishop Emeritus of South Africa. He spoke so passionately about the first free elections in South Africa after the end of apartheid. He told us about men and women standing in lines so long they couldn’t see the end. Many of them stood in line for an entire day or more just to have the honor and privilege to cast a vote! And here in the United States half of us don’t even bother to cast our vote.

   In his introduction to the section “Every Vote Counts” in 50 Ways to Love your Country, Al Gore writes, “Voting is how we come together, as Americans and as believers in self-rule. There is no greater or more profound right of citizenship. Take it from this veteran of a close and controversial election: The process matters. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. And then there’s that little-known third category. But democracy wins when all of us get in gear and participate with enthusiasm and passion and heartfelt commitment. Now is the time. You are the answer.”

2. Stay educated on current events. I look back so fondly at the luxury of hours spent in the classrooms of this building discussing and debating political issues with professors and fellow classmates. I am sure that many of you are already juggling a job or two, a family, and your school work. But, let me tell you, life only speeds up after graduation. You must make the commitment to remain educated and engaged on local, national, and global issues. At Trinity, as a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, you are being given great opportunities. Now and after graduation, you owe a debt to society—you owe it to this nation, to our world—to remain an educated citizen.

3. Give back! As you know from my introduction, I have made my career to date in the world of fundraising, first political and now non-profit. I encourage all of you to consider making your first political contribution this year. Or, your first contribution to a non-profit organization. If you make an occasional gift: I urge you to reassess your giving and to commit to making regular contributions. If you make regular contributions: I applaud you.

I have seen first-hand the power that many small gifts can have to transform an organization…to breathe life into a political campaign…to make a difference!

Two contributors to 50 Ways to Love your Country, Anne Slepian and Christopher Mogil wrote, “No matter what our resources are, our money can be a constructive force. Americans are living in the wealthiest country in the history of the planet. Instead of going to the mall or waiting for Bill Gates to fix things, we can take matters into our own hands and breathe life-giving power into the money we all have—which collectively is considerable.”

Recently, we have seen powerful examples of many small contributions collectively making a real difference.

One was after September 11. Thousands and thousands of individuals, many who had never made a charitable gift in their life came together to give millions and millions of dollars to the survivors of the victims of the tragedies.

Howard Dean’s campaign was an incredible example of many small donors really creating a tidal wave of grassroots support. Though Dean ultimately lost, together he and his supporters had a great impact on the Democratic primary.

Moveon.org, the organization I have referenced to many times this evening, raised more than $4 million dollars in 2002, their first year of existence. The average contribution was just $36.

Here at Trinity, more than 1600 alumnae joined together with corporations and foundations to build the Trinity Center for Women and Girls in Sports. Certainly, there were several large gifts including two gifts of $1 million from very generous alumnae, but there were also hundreds and hundreds of small and medium gifts from alumnae like me who believe in Trinity, who are grateful for our experience here, and who want Trinity to be the best possible institution for you and future students. Soon you will be asked to join with me and so many others to give back to Trinity, to continue the legacy for those who come after you. I urge you to answer that call.

You know, in politics everyone is upset when a candidate accepts money from so-called “special interest groups.” Well, it takes millions of dollars to run for the Presidency, for the Senate and in most cases for a seat in the House of Representatives. Even State Legislative races cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. It has been my experience that candidates would rather raise money in smaller amounts from individuals than accept large gifts from political action committees. But, so few individuals make gifts that the politicians really would have to spend all their time fundraising to achieve this type of grassroots fundraising support.

I have a theory…. Even the most cynical person in this country has one politician that they like, one candidate they would like to see elected or re-elected. Maybe that’s a candidate for School Board, their Mayor, a Governor or the President. If every voter in this country gave $10 or $20 to that one candidate they believe in, I think we would eliminate (or strongly decrease) the need for gifts from special interest groups.

I urge you to make a donation this year. Your gift of $5 or $10—or of course more if you can afford it—together with gifts of $5 or $10 from thousands of other committed individuals, has the power to transform a campaign, to transform an organization, to transform Trinity College.

Finally, my conclusion… Your time at Trinity College is truly a luxury, a time unlike any other you will have in your life. Take advantage of it! Intern early and often and give 100% to every task at your internships.

When you graduate and join me as a proud alum of this institution, your responsibilities continue. Vote. Stay educated. Consider making a gift to a campaign, to an organization, and of course to Trinity. Your gift truly does have the power to make a difference.

Thank you very much.

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