Localization: We provided David with a locally relevant topic—congressional redistricting in his district—to illustrate authentic engagement and develop his perspective.

Specificity: We built around a specific concept related to public policy—engaged citizenship—to focus his application.

Ethos Development: We combined David’s personal factors and engagement experiences to develop a clear and authentic application ethos/theme/brand.

Suggested Additional Engagements:

• Locally Relevant Research Question: Congressional Redistricting Investigation
  • Congressional Redistricting Project:
    • Partnered with the Asian Legal Defense and Education Fund for fair redistricting.
    • Testified before the State Congressional Redistricting Commission.
  • Research and Publication:
    • Published a 21-page paper on civics education in the Curieux Academic Journal.
      
      
• Academically Relevant Volunteerism:
  • Youth Liaison for the League of Women Voters:
    • Led local civics education efforts and advocated for integrated curricula and volunteer opportunities.

Developing the Ethos:

• Personal Qualities: Empathetic, engaged, proactive, collaborative.
• Ethos Statement: “I have always loved investigating how policies impact our lives, but it wasn’t until I investigated congressional redistricting that I began to understand that effective policy development and implementation is only possible when we proactively engage and educate stakeholders.”
• Infusion of Ethos into Application Elements: We ensured that David’s application clearly conveyed his personal qualities and experiences related to engaged citizenship.