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2015 First-Year Fellow: Spencer Lambdin '18

The National Disability Institute (NDI) is dedicated to building a better economic future for people with disabilities and their families. It envisions an environment where people across the spectrum of disability have the same opportunities to achieve financial stability and independence as people without disabilities.

Spencer Lambdin '18 presenting his work on the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) National Resource Center.
As a First-Year Fellow at the NDI, I learned a ton about the policy process in general. The NDI is very active in both federal and state policy development and implementation. My internship exposed me to a broad portion of the policy process through conversations with Congressional staffers, discussions at the Treasury Department, meetings with other disability non-profits and state disability organizations, even calls with White House media correspondents. My awareness of all these components of the policy process will undoubtedly connect with my future academic and professional pursuits.
Spencer Lambdin '18 (back row, far right) with the NDI celebrating their summer progress.
Of all the experiences I had during the fellowship, the most rewarding part was inputting all the information on state review of the Achieving a Better Life Experience (ABLE) legislation on the ABLE National Resource Center website. The working spreadsheet I created should help the NDI’s Senior Policy Analyst understand my research and easily transition into managing that portion of the website.
-Written by Spencer Lambdin '18

This series introduces the 2015 First-Year Fellows. Each fellow reflects on his or her experience in Washington DC as a First-Year Fellow working with a mentor in public policy.