Before Rockefeller Center First-Year Fellows begin their summer internships in Congressional offices, federal agencies, nonprofits, and policy organizations across Washington, D.C., they spend a week learning from the people who know the city and its professional environment best: Dartmouth alumni.
Among many industry leaders in the area, students met with alumni and friends of Dartmouth whose career paths span government, law, education, entrepreneurship, and AI technology including Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88, Senator Maggie Hassan, Senator Adam Schiff, Chief Special Master Brian Corcoran ’88, Devin Dwyer ’05, and former Rockefeller Center Board Members Cathy Solomon ’82, Mary Pavel ’88, and Welton Chang ’05.
The Fellows speak with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand outside of the U.S. Capitol.
The Fellows speak with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ’88 outside of the U.S. Capitol.
Each June, the Rockefeller Center conducts Civic Skills Training (CST) to bring Fellows together with alumni and public policy leaders who help bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. CST goes beyond workplace orientation and equips students with leadership skills, alumni connections, and the confidence they need to hit the ground running and make contributions from the first days of their internships.
“The Rockefeller Center’s First-Year Fellows program provides high-achieving students from all socio-economic backgrounds, political identities, and career tracks with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience the inner workings of Washington, D.C. with the same goal in mind – to make a difference. It is extremely inspiring to work with a group of such intelligent, empathetic, and passionate young leaders who are already changing the world in their own ways, and we can’t thank the Dartmouth network enough for believing and investing in the next generation of young leaders alongside us at the Rockefeller Center,” says Madison Piel, senior project manager for Co-Curricular Programs.
At the Young Alumni Panel.
One of CST’s most meaningful themes is seeing Dartmouth alumni return to invest in the next generation of Dartmouth leaders. Milla Anderson ’19 led an integral legislative memo writing workshop, helping students better understand one of the core skills they would use throughout their internships and professional careers. Fellows likewise had lunch with a panel of recent First-Year Fellow alumni, including Adam Salzman ’24, Dylan Griffith ’25, Kavya Nivarthy ’25, and Ari Rao ’25. The panel shared reflections on navigating the nation’s capital as young professionals, including the importance of budgeting, building professional relationships, and making the most of every opportunity.
Senators Maggie Hassan and Adam Schiff speak with the Fellows outside of the U.S. Capitol.
Through multiple visits to Congress, Fellows also experienced the policymaking process firsthand. Meetings with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88, Senator Maggie Hassan, and Senator Adam Schiff provided insight on what it means to represent constituents and lead through complex policy challenges. Additionally, Dartmouth alumni Raymond Rodriguez ’09 and Audrey Smith T’25, together with Emily Burlij, Dartmouth's director of Federal Relations, introduced students to the day-to-day work of Congress and Dartmouth's presence on Capitol Hill. Fellows also had the privilege of touring the House Floor and Speaker's Balcony, and visited the Congressional Budget Office with Nianyi Hong ’13 and Robert Stewart. These experiences transformed classroom lessons into lived experiences, giving students a deeper understanding of how leadership, communication, and collaboration shape public policy.
Civic Skills Training this year also featured conversations with Allison Bawden ’99, managing director at the U.S. Government Accountability Office; Mike Heslin ’08 of 1st90; Mitch Zeller ’79, former director of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products; Graydon Daubert, senior advisor in the Office of Public and Indian Housing (HUD); and Judge John Mott ’81 and George Linzer ’83 with a session on Civic Courage. In addition to leadership training Fellows visited with Priscilla Huff ’91 at the Washington Bureau of Gray Media for a conversation about political journalism and the role of the press in covering the nation’s capital, followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of the studio.
Tiernan Sittenfeld, CEO of National Parks Conservation Association, with her First-Year Fellows mentee Violet Philhower at First-Year Fellows Reception.
The week concluded with the annual First-Year Fellows Alumni Reception, generously hosted by Ben Bawden ’99, and Brooks, Bawden, Moore, in its offices in Penn Quarter. Alumni representing Congress, federal agencies, consulting firms, law firms, nonprofit organizations, media organizations, gathered to welcome the Class of 2029 to Washington. For many Fellows, it was their first opportunity to put the week's networking lessons into practice while beginning relationships that will support them throughout the summer and beyond.
The Rockefeller Center also partnered with the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, and Amanda Graham, Director of Academic Programs for the Irving Institute and Director of Dartmouth's Master of Energy Transition Program, on four new energy-focused First-Year Fellowships this summer. These Fellows are gaining hands-on experience across the energy policy landscape while contributing to organizations tackling some of today's most pressing energy challenges.
The 2026 First-Year Fellows Program was overseen and implemented by Bob Coates, associate director for Co-Curricular Programs, Madison Piel, senior project manager for Co-Curricular Programs, and student staff including Harper Kucik ’27, Maia Bazo Vergara ’28, and Gabi Green ’29.