Class of 2020 First-Year Fellow: Kenny Coleman ’20

Kenny Coleman ’20 comes from Silver Spring, Maryland and graduated from Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. At Sidwell Friends, Kenny was the president of the Student Democrats. He was also treasurer of the Black Student Union and Opinion Section Editor of the Horizon school newspaper.

At Dartmouth, Kenny is majoring in Government with a minor in Public Policy. On campus, Kenny is an admissions tour guide and is also a member of the Dartmouth Brovertones all-male Acapella group. He is also a Great Issues Scholar at the Dickey Center for International Understanding.

As a First-Year Fellow, Kenny interned at the U.S. House of Representatives: Committee on Education & the Workforce under the mentorship of Christian Haines ’01. As an undergraduate fellow, Kenny supported both the administrative and policy teams. In terms of administrative tasks, he staffed hearings and markups and prepared briefing binders with all the materials needed for staffers before a committee event. On the policy side, Kenny interacted directly with other congressmen and women when he was sent to get their signatures on co-sponsor forms, resolutions, and letters.

According to Kenny, “The most rewarding part of the fellowship was being able to work alongside policy experts and staffers that were so motivated to help the American people. I was given the opportunity to sit in on about a dozen informational interviews with Committee advisors and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about each of their paths to working for the Committee. They offered candid advice to me, as someone interested in public service as a career. They talked about their passions and what keeps them motivated even during very difficult times. They gave me renewed confidence in the ability of individuals in government to create change for the better.”

After graduation, Kenny plans to attend law school.