By Abhishek Jagannathan, 2026 CLA Intern
Orientation Week and especially the Capitol Summit with CAUSE were a series of events that I can only describe as a Top 10 extroverted experience. For an entire week you are pretty much non-stop surrounded by new faces (first, your fellow cohort members and later, various elected officials, staff, and interns from other programs), and the whole time you are cognizant that you have to be ‘on’ - introducing yourself without stuttering or forgetting an honorific, asking the right questions of the right people, trying to form instant connections in quick succession while everybody around you is trying to do the exact same thing.
I’d call myself an introvert most days of the week, and although I did my best to bring a generally jovial attitude to the function, much of my networking process was marred by me internally shaking and quaking in my metaphorical boots. In every interaction, I was struggling to figure out what the best way to present myself would be, whether or not I was making enough eye contact, whether my handshake was firm enough, or if I seemed like I was competent and deserving to actually be there.
None of this was productive, whatsoever.
But through the week, I was fortunate to have experiences that helped put everything in perspective, and provide me with a couple of key takeaways.
First of all, it’s really surprising how similar students and professionals are. On our second day at the Capitol we had the privilege of watching an Assembly floor session, as members gave speeches in support of legislation regarding Juneteenth. It was an incredible opportunity to see how the government operates first hand. While we were watching the session, one of my fellow cohort members pointed out how the way the Assembly desks were arranged - paired desks in rows all facing the front - was very similar to the ayout of a high school classroom. I found this comparison to be both funny, and strangely relieving. I started to notice just how down to earth the Assembly proceedings were, with officials socializing between desks, checking their phones, reading off scripts for certain moments. Suddenly, the environment in the Capitol became almost relatable. This is not to say that the Assemblymembers and the work that they do seemed any less impressive or significant, just that it seemed far less removed from my own life. Government officials are also people, not too different from you or me. I found that when dealing with something like imposter syndrome, remembering this is a guiding light of sorts.
Second, the only thing I ever need to worry about is showing up. On the first day of our orientation week, we had an activity where we each described a leader whom we admired and what it was about them that we found to be inspiring. Once we all shared our thoughts, it became clear that the common thread between our leaders was that they all ‘showed up’. These people were a huge presence in the lives of others, they communicated, they were available. I think that more so than education or experience, the real trait that makes good government officials stand out is that they show up. Every single person we met in Sacramento, every member who delivered a speech on the floor, made the effort to show up and be present. If you show up, you’ve done more than a lot of other people, so you have no reason to doubt yourself or be underconfident. If you’re in the room, you’ve made it.
To tie these two lessons together with my own experience, I learned that overthinking every word or action is only going to take you out of the moment, making you less present. It’s a waste of time, and defeats the purpose of showing up. Being confident in who you are without second-guessing your decisions may seem like a surface level realization, but it’s really the only thing you need to remember. That’s the reason you’re there. I feel immensely grateful to CAUSE for this week, and for teaching me these lessons.