Class of 2019 First-Year Fellow: Maxwell Kanefield

Maxwell Kanefield ’19 was born and raised in Washington, DC, which sparked his interest in the political world. Prior to Dartmouth, he worked with Operation Understanding DC, an organization that brings together African-American and Jewish students committed to eradicating racism and discrimination. He also founded a political discussion club at his high school. Maxwell received the U.S. Presidential Scholar award.

During his First-Year Fellow summer, Maxwell worked at the National Science Foundation in the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs. The Office’s main mission is to develop new scientists and strengthen the existing community, a mission that connected well with his passion and was, thus, very rewarding.

During his internship, Maxwell had a wide variety of roles and responsibilities, but his central project was a large-scale data collection and analysis conducted on Nobel Laureates funded by the NSF, compiled at the request of the Department of State.

“My interest in government and public policy stems from my desire to help others and a passion for stewardship,” says Maxwell. “On the very first day of my fellowship, I attended the final presentations of the finalists at the Community College Innovation challenge, the culmination of a week of intense training in public speaking, innovation, and networking. Watching the students struggle, work, and ultimately succeed in their presentations showed me a tangible connection between the work of the Office of Legislative and Public Affairs and helping individuals become future leaders in their fields.”

On campus, Maxwell is a tour guide and a writer for The Dartmouth. Maxwell is also founding a debate society that brings foreign policy experts to debate professors on campus in hopes of exposing college students to new opinions. He is interested in studying law, social justice, and civil rights.