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Profile: Lily Emamian – Senior Public Service Fellow
Lily Emamian was awarded NIAC’s Senior Public Service Fellowship and spent this past summer interning on Capitol Hill with the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Lily recounts her first-hand look at government and how it motivates her to serve the public and our community.
Washington, DC – Undoubtedly, the Iranian-American community is
composed of many of the brightest, hardest working, and most intellectually
engaged individuals living in the United States. The presence that our community
has in all domains – professional, political, artistic, scientific – speaks volumes
to the potential that future generations of Iranian Americans will demonstrate
in years to come. Blessed with strong and supportive families, the community’s
fervently active and motivated youth are entrusted with the responsibility to continue
projecting the values that drive Iranian Americans toward excellence: education,
humility, and a strong sense of identity.
The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) embraces
those qualities in its own work while pushing for diplomacy in U.S.–Iran
relations, advocating for human rights in Iran, and engaging young people by providing
them a forum to share their political views and pride in our community. Because I share the same goals as NIAC and have
always supported its work, I applied for the Senior Public Service Fellowship
in hopes of contributing to its honorable mission of joining Iranian Americans nationwide,
keeping us informed and involved, and providing a pedestal from which to voice
our vision of a great America.
After being awarded the Fellowship, I served as
an intern during the summer months at the Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee, where I wrote memos, conducted research for committee
staff that worked on policies and investigated legislation, prepared the
committee office for hearings, and worked with staffers in the efforts of
passing the Cybersecurity Act of 2012.
NIAC’s support allowed me to become familiar
with the Capitol Hill culture, an opportunity I hoped to have upon stepping
foot in Washington, DC as a college freshman passionate about studying
international relations and discovering the wonders of the city. In addition to
gaining valuable experience working in the government setting, I proudly
represented the Iranian-American community throughout my internship experience
– whether while preparing memos, meeting witnesses testifying at committee
hearings, or during conversations in the office with staffers. As a Senior
Public Service Fellow, I kept a close watch on discussions of U.S.–Iran
relations on the Hill. I took advantage of exposure to high-level discussions
on how best to approach tumultuous political relations not only for my own
enrichment, but also to inform my peers and family members of affairs in
Washington. By doing so, I discovered that we, as a value-oriented community,
must contribute to those discussions every step of the way and ensure that we
are represented in the decisions our leaders make.
Most importantly, engaging with the Iranian-American
community on so many levels – professional, intellectual, and social – allowed me
to find a home away from home. Spending time with NIAC interns and staff,
particularly meeting and speaking with Trita Parsi, Nobar Elmi, and Lily Samimi
– opened my eyes to an unprecedented level of tenacity and sharpness – one that
ignites Iranian Americans to make a difference, and instilled in me a
commitment to fulfill my ambitions of serving the public.
2012-10-24 22:00:10
Source: http://www.niacouncil.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8659
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