Alumni Spotlights

As a young high school student interested in political philosophy, McDonald was excited to register for Close Up. He began the program week with a robust knowledge of American political philosophy and the political process from reading the Founding Fathers. McDonald learned through his studies that that he should have

Considering diverse ideas is not only an important part of the Close Up experience, it has also proved to be a key part of Colleen Creighton’s success. Growing up on a farm in North Smithfield, RI, she never had an opportunity to have in-depth political conversations with students from other

Before joining Close Up, Brent Rudell spent three years working on Capitol Hill, completing a full congressional cycle. He witnessed the legislative process from start to finish: drafting a bill from an idea, walking it through committee and floor votes, securing approval from both the House and Senate, and finally

Paul Schreiber identifies himself as a storyteller, organizer, and engineer, and has successfully combined all three elements in his career. His record of political involvement includes campaign work in his native Canada, as well as south of the border in the United States. He has worked on computer systems for

A longtime civic leader in Washington, DC, Councilmember Brianne Nadeau remembers one of her first experiences in the District was a 1997 Close Up trip. As one of a dozen students from Grosse Pointe, MI, she visited the memorials and museums that Close Up students have explored for more than

Jaylin D. McClinton has been a fervent believer in civic engagement and social justice for as long as he can remember. As a Community Organizer for the Obama Foundation in his hometown of Chicago, IL, he puts his convictions into practice every day. Going into the local community regularly to