Megan Baier

Class of 2011

Last year I applied--and was accepted--to the Senate Fellows Program in Sacramento. For the last 6 months I have been working for Senator Wolk on Education, Health, and Human Services policy issues. I am working on several projects as a part of an innovative strategy to improve outcomes for children and youth involved in the Child Welfare System, including legislation to enhance the accountability and the capability of the Child Welfare System to respond to the needs of the children it serves, a project to better understand the connection between the Child Welfare System and criminal justice system, as well as a collaborative project to utilize social networks to more effectively connect homeless youth with relevant community based resources.

I am also working on legislation to assist Shriners Hospital, which serves children with specialized conditions, regardless of their insurance coverage, to continue serving as many patients as possible. So far it has been a wonderful experience and I have learned a lot from my mentor, who is a former fellow. Working in the capitol has taught me a lot about politics and the political process. I would recommend this program to any student interested in public policy or law. I can be reached at: meganebaier@gmail.com.