We are sad to say goodbye to the class of 2014, but we are so excited about where they are heading in their careers. Our Institute of Politics 2014 seniors have helped shape our programming over the past four years and have already achieved so much in the world of politics and public service.
Meet Jimmy Biblarz. Most recently Jimmy served as chair of the Fellows and Study Groups program and then student Treasurer of the Student Advisory Committee (SAC).
When/Why did you get involved at the Institute of Politics?
I first got involved with the IOP during my freshman spring as a liaison to Emma Sky, and as a Civics teacher. I had been going to forums and other events in the fall but did not get formally involved until my second semester. I hope other students can relate to this – the IOP is an open, inclusive community that you can join at various points during your Harvard career.
What is your favorite IOP memory?
Too many to list! Sitting next to my congresswoman at the New Members of Congress Reception, Skyping General Petraeus in Afghanistan, presenting before Caroline Kennedy and the rest of the IOP Board and just hanging out in the student office.
As privileged as I feel having gone to so many high profile events, I feel equally lucky to have gotten to know the IOP staff so well. Most of my real favorite memories are making the rounds through the staff’s offices, chatting about our days, debriefing the week’s events, or getting life advice. That is probably the thing I am going to miss most at Harvard.
What was your overall experience with the IOP?
The IOP is the perfect mix of an extra-curricular activity, a site for professional development, an academic supplement, and a social space. This unique combination is the “IOP special sauce.” The IOP has been my dominant activity for the past four years and I am very sad to be leaving.
Why is public service important to you?
If I’ve learned anything at the IOP, it is that young people working in strong teams can and will make positive change in communities around the country. Sure, DC politics can get messy. To anyone with a negative perception of politics, I say come to the IOP. Public service matters because it is the only way to ensure continuous social progress and move us closer to a more equal country. To inspire someone in public service, I would tell them to find a problem that ticks them off – be educational inequity, voter protection, healthcare – and find a way to contribute to solving that issue. Doing so will open one’s eyes to the power of public service.
Talk about some of the opportunities the IOP provided you.
I was a Director’s Intern at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, a Research Assistant for Professor Tim McCarthy, chair of the Fellows and Study Groups program, and the treasurer on the IOP Executive team. The opportunities the IOP provides are truly exceptional.
What are you doing after graduation?
Next year, I will be doing public engagement and special projects for Heather Campion, the Director of the JFK Library Foundation (and a member of the IOP’s board). I got this job through the IOP. After that, I hope to work on a 2016 presidential campaign (fingers crossed for Hillary) and then go to law school. Long term, I hope to work on education and housing policy working to create more socially integrated communities. Long, long-term, I hope to run for office.