Christina Pierro,’10 in Washington, DC: “I think that’s what government is – an organization that works for the betterment of people.”
Service Contract
Profile 2 of 3 in 'What They Did This Summer' - features Christina Pierro who worked in Washington D.C., advocated for the US Public Service Academy
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Christina Pierro,’10, is taking the Jesuit mission of service to heart. With a passion for politics and a deep-seated desire to serve others, Pierro has both participated in, and advocated for, youth involvement in the public sector — including this past summer, when she worked for the US Department of Justice.A member of the Massachusetts Youth Advisory Council, Pierro has become a strong voice advocating for the establishment of the US Public Service Academy. The program would establish a national, tuition-free university modeled after military academies. The academy, an idea supported by the Obama administration, would teach a liberal arts curriculum supplemented by study abroad opportunities, service learning and public sector internships. Participants would agree to work for five years post-graduation as civil servants including teachers, first responders and government officials.
“I believe strongly in the duty we all have to serve our country,” wrote Pierro in a column this summer for The Eagle Tribune. “Service is not only a way to help our country, but through service we can help others and in the process, help the world.”
“It’s a lot of Jesuit ideals,” Pierro explained during a recent interview. “Serving, ‘men and women for others’, ‘ever to excel’, it follows those same types of principles.”
The academy model would work well for Pierro, who has held various intern and volunteer positions in the US government over the last three years. This past summer, the political science major traveled to Washington DC, to work for the Department of Justice. As a program support intern in the Office of the Assistant Attorney General, she helped to plan a Native American Tribal Justice conference in Tulsa, which she attended along with more than 400 tribal leaders from around the country.
“It was inspiring to work for the Native Americans, to find ways that they can be better served,” said Pierro. “It was the best internship experience I have ever had.”
In addition to the conference, the Andover native developed policy advice for senior members of the staff on ethnic disparities in federal sentencing.
Pierro said that experiences like this summer, combined with other internships – she has also worked for the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid program and an intern in the British Parliament – have defined her desire to begin working in government after graduation.
“From an early age, I have gravitated toward positions of leadership...and ultimately, I think that’s what government is – an organization that works for the betterment of people,” said Pierro.
Back on campus, Pierro is looking forward to her role as executive director of social and cultural issues for the Undergraduate Government of Boston College.
“Learning what I learned this summer and being able to bring it to BC will be particularly rewarding. I definitely think that what I learned about public service and cultural issues will be able to be brought up on campus.”
For the next student profile, visit http://www.bc.edu/publications/chronicle/TopstoriesNewFeatures/features/Sterrett091009.html