By Joanna Yeh, 2025 CLA Intern
I am constantly reminded that one of the most effective methods of learning is simply to dive into the deep end and learn to swim. In our case, the deep end was our 24-hour trip to Sacramento, and learning to swim looked like trekking from the Assembly floor to a luncheon to back to back meetings with legislative directors, chiefs of staff, and more. To say that we were exhausted at the end of the day is an understatement, but more importantly, we all felt accomplished, too, for making it to the capital, engaging with representatives and peers, and all-around soaking in the power of government.
Out of the entire day of opportunity after opportunity, I think some of the most poignant experiences included our sitting in while the Assembly members were in session and meeting with Mike Fong’s Chief of Staff, Sophia Kwong Kim.
From the pace at which the Assembly moved to their tally system for voting, I was fascinated by the passion each member has for niche topics and equally intrigued by the disinterest members may exhibit for other areas of concern. I remember seeing members on their phones or talking to one another while a colleague spoke about the motion or bill, but I also remember how everyone paused when a member called for a moment of silence. I wonder to the extent that the restless energy is due to the fact that our visit happened to be the last day of session before their recess. Regardless, it was interesting to see government in action, to see how our election results turn into real practice.
On the other side of policy making, I was just as compelled by State Assembly Member Mike Fong’s Chief of Staff, Sophia Kwong Kim, who refuses to ever run and demonstrated that behind the scenes work is just as relevant to civic engagement. I appreciated this fact since I do not necessarily see myself in a public-facing role at the moment. In fact Sophia demonstrated a well of knowledge that I wonder if politicians have. Not only does she possess skills from her time as legislative aide and director, but she also chaired the education committee and now is the chief of staff. She sees everything and I think it is an advantage that not everyone sees her. Meeting Sophia and hearing her insight along with the other guest speakers helps me envision what a career in the government could look like for me.
I hope everyone gets to experience even an hour of what our trip turned out to be because we all gained immense respect for the people and careers in these places of government. While I explore my options post-graduation, I am grateful that I got to visit California’s capitol and learn about more paths ahead of me. Whichever way I choose, I know people or organizations like CAUSE will be able to help me glimpse these futures and learn about how I can best serve my communities.