"As a policy advisor for the White House, I draw all the time on the lessons in humility, empathy, and connection that I learned while at Covington High School. At the core of my work in policy is a commitment to improve the lives of people who are struggling, but it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the many problems facing our country and the tiny part any of us can play in fixing them. As a college adviser, I learned that any little win can lead to a big difference for a student. One afternoon, I helped one student finish his FAFSA during his study hall. I’ll never forgot seeing the shock on his face when he saw that he was eligible for the full Pell Grant. For him, that meant community college—which would have been impossible for his family to afford without loans—would be free. It’s the same in policy. You have to fight for and celebrate those wins when they come, even if they are small, because they make a real difference in someone’s life."