By Natalie Bray, 2026 CLA Intern
The squeaky wheel gets the grease. That phrase stuck with me throughout the duration of my experience at CAUSE this summer as I navigated a variety of new and different situations presented to me through the Leadership Academy. This became my motto for talking to electeds, asking my supervisors if there was more work I could do in a specific policy or research area I was interested in, and conversing with individuals about my passions for going into the legal field. All of these interactions I had throughout the summer because of this newfound philosophy of mine provided me with a deeper connection to the work I was doing, and allowed me to take initiative on things I would not have been able to have access to had I not spoken up about them. I knew that CAUSE was an integral part of this, providing me an invaluable resource in the connections I was able to make through their network. And, it was not lost on me that I would never have been able to gain the same knowledge and experiences CAUSE provided me with this summer without the organization’s assistance, support, and genuine care. As I end this summer feeling as empowered as ever to be that squeaky wheel, I can’t help but reflect on the girl I used to be.
Growing up in a predominantly white area that viewed me as a societal anomaly just because I was mixed race made me overtly aware in my youth that I was not going to be comfortable in a lot of settings. I learned to navigate this, and didn’t fear speaking my mind even when I was extremely uncomfortable doing so. This led me to operate a lot of situations on my lonesome, never relying on anyone else to back me up or support my beliefs. This individualistic mentality also gave me an intense fear of failure, knowing that I would have to build myself back up, alone, after any mistake I made. This hyper-independency came from a sense of survival within my surroundings, but often left me more isolated than I would care to admit. Taking these lived experiences with me into the first day of CAUSE, I wondered if I would finally be able to feel comfortable in my surroundings, or if I would stay in my own, solitary bubble again throughout the summer. Who knew that this solo mentality would be dismantled by just one straw of a spaghetti noodle.
On the first day of CAUSE, we were tasked to build spaghetti towers. Teaming up with my peers, we successfully made the worst spaghetti tower out of all of the other groups in the cohort. But what I took away from this wasn’t the failure of our building, but the laughs shared and communal ideas thrown out throughout the construction process. Those people in my spaghetti tower group grew to become some of my dearest friends, alongside the rest of the cohort. Right off the bat, I knew I had found community within my colleagues, and finally felt the sense of trust I had been missing in previous spaces within the walls of Centrl Office. I learned the importance of community and reliance, as I became more comfortable turning to others for help, and to give help. This allowed me to feel more empowered to turn to others in other realms as well, and become that squeaky wheel in building my network and collaborating with different audiences. CAUSE showed me community in ways I had never seen, and for that I am eternally grateful. As I continue on into new endeavors, I will always carry with me memories of this transformative summer, and a newfound acknowledgement of the benefits to alliances and coalition building. I cannot thank my cohort and CAUSE alike enough for how much this summer helped me grow as a person. I am excited to see what all of these inspiring young leaders continue to do, and of course how I can help along the way.