What Does a Successful GFA Applicant Look Like?
A successful Govern For America applicant shows empathy, compassion, and genuine interest in government work as an avenue for systemic change throughout every step of the application and selection process. Here is an example of a high-scoring answer from the written application:
GFA is searching for emerging leaders who believe that government can be a powerful avenue for change. What has inspired you to work in government as a Govern for America Fellow, and what unique contribution would you make to the GFA community?
“One of my guiding principles as I have sought different opportunities throughout my life has been to seek opportunities that feel impactful and that inspire me. I know myself, and I know that when I involve myself in things that I do not truly feel passionate about, I do not do my best work. The reason I have chosen to apply for Govern for America is because I can see that the fellowship represents truly impactful work that I can throw myself into. I believe that long-term, large scale change to American society starts with a strong foundation of people putting in the work day in and day out. In public health, the concept of an “upstreamist” often comes up. This is the idea that to save people from drowning in the proverbial river of negative health outcomes, we must look up the river to see what makes people fall in rather than trying to fish them all out of the river one by one. I think the upstreamist approach applies to all areas of policy — it takes people working in state and local government taking a close look at what is causing problems for their constituents to then make improvements that will benefit everyone.
I think what I would bring to the table as a GFA fellow is perspective. The experiences I have had growing up in the south at public schools, attending a university in my home state with students from all over the world, living in an extremely blue city in a red state, and approaching public health issues through a policy lens as part of my studies have made me think introspectively about the intersections of policy, race, economic status, education, and health, and I would love the opportunity to work to address these overlaps.”
This Fellow begins their answer by connecting GFA’s mission to their own guiding principles. This is important because it informs the reader that they didn’t stumble upon the application and apply. They applied because the mission spoke to them. The third sentence answers the first part of this question and connects the work that GFA does to a personal anecdote. This helps the reader understand where the applicant comes from and how their background connects to Govern For America. Regardless of whether you have academic experience in an area you are interested in, tell us about why you care about this area, how your own life experiences have been touched by the topic, or why you want to make this commitment.
The second paragraph then answers the second part of the question: “What unique contribution could you make?” This applicant briefly describes their background and history beyond academia and weaves it into the functions of government. Every applicant brings a unique perspective, passion, skill set, and lived experience — tell us about yours!
Key Takeaways:
Answer the question. It’s easy to veer off track when you’re writing your answer, especially when you are writing about a topic you are passionate about! Make sure you’re clearly answering the question that is asked.
Use the space given. We base word count maximums on the length of answers from prior application cycles and the amount of space we expect you to need to give a clear answer. A thorough and comprehensive answer shows more interest than a shorter one.
Use lived experiences to support your answer. We want to get to know you better, not just your academic or professional background. We want to understand your personal motivations for driving change in our government.
Describe your accomplishments. From your academic career, internships, volunteer work, or experiences with your family and community, tell us what you have achieved. We are looking for action-oriented people who can make change and get things done!
Connect past experiences to future ones. We are looking for fellows who have a wide variety of experiences. You can connect any role to roles in government and we encourage you to think about how any role, from a work-study job in the library to being a server at a restaurant to an internship with your Senator, can be applicable to work in state government. You can include these experiences in your resume and explain what you learned from them in your application.
Do your homework. We share information about the Fellowship on our website and we have office hours and information sessions available to anyone interested in applying to GFA. Please make sure that you learn about GFA before applying to be a Fellow — it shows when you do your research and will help ensure that GFA is the right fit for you!