The University of Chicago Institute of Politics

“It’s the 20-something and 30-something’s running the free world.”

Gen Z elected officials Nabeela Syed, Amber Hulse, Kalan Haywood, and Brooke Huckaby may be on different sides of the political spectrum, but they do agree on one thing: Gen Z’s time is now.

This week the IOP hosted a dynamic panel exploring four Gen Z leaders’ experiences in public service and concerns for the future of this country. We left with nuggets of wisdom and inspiration to act on the issues that affect our communities.

Interested in starting your path to public service? Join Launch, a leadership program designed for undergraduate students interested in developing their leadership skills and exploring how to make positive impacts through public service.

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This summer, rising fourth-year Zeennah Akorede is the Community Engagement Intern at the Institute for Justice Clinic on Entrepreneurship.

IJ Clinic supports small businesses in Chicago, especially on the South Side, by providing legal assistance to entrepreneurs. Zeennah, who is originally from the Chicago suburbs, was drawn to this internship as a way to meaningfully connect with the community surrounding UChicago.

“As a Community Engagement intern, getting small businesses to know about the resources available to them at IJ Clinic is a big part of my role.” Zeennah spends at least one day per week getting out in the community, canvassing and talking to small business owners to learn more about their needs. “I do a lot of background research on different businesses, so getting to actually talk to people and put a face to the name is definitely my favorite part of my job.”

Zeennah has also learned a lot about how changes in local government affect small businesses. “We make sure that business owners are aware of the different rules that the city has put in place. For example, Chicago’s sign ordinance fines businesses if they have posters or signage covering more than 25% of their window space, so we need to ensure that owners know about this rule. There’s so much complicated information involved in these regulations that can leave small business owners vulnerable to fines.”

“I’ve been learning about business and entrepreneurship, in addition to seeing what it might be like to work at a legal nonprofit. I keep thinking about what kind of public servant I want to be and how I’m going to continue doing work I care about in my career.”

At first, rising second-year Braeden Prunier was unsure of how he wanted to spend his summer, but after attending Turning Point USA’s AmericaFest he knew he wanted to spend the summer working in the government on Capitol Hill. “I wanted to put myself in a position where I could really just do a lot of learning.”

A typical day for Braeden, interning for the Office of U.S. Congressman Nicholas Begich (AK-01), includes giving tours of the Capitol, attending committee meetings, and sometimes even staffing the Congressman. He has also been working on a long-term research project that he got to present to Congressman Begich, his Chief of Staff, and the whole legislative team. “I was given the opportunity to do real legislative work and present it like any other staff member would, so that’s been one of the most substantive things I’ve been able to do.”

Outside of his office, Braeden’s gotten to interact with other elected officials. “Bernie Sanders was in my Senate car the other day and I’ve gotten to talk to the Speaker of the House a couple times. One of the biggest takeaways for me has been how normal a lot of these politicians that we see in the media are. I never thought I’d be joking around with a U.S. Senator, but here I am.”

“It’s easy to feel a bit fatalistic about government sometimes, and as an individual, you can feel like you don’t have a say in how things work. But, this internship has really shown me how much more you can do with government, especially if you’re passionate about politics. It’s also given me perspective on what’s important to me career-wise, doing something that’s actually impactful.”

This week, the IOP and the American Enterprise Institute invited new Congressional Members, staffers and interns to an event dedicated to learning practical strategies and tips on how to navigate the Hill.

Thank you to Laura Dove, former IOP Pritzker Fellow, AEI Fellow and former Senate Secretary for the Majority, Shuwanza Goff, former Director of the White House Office of Legislative Affairs, Ryan Long, former Senior Policy Advisor to then Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and former Representative Rodney Davis (R-IL) for sharing their insights with us!

We beat the DC heat on Tuesday for the IOP’s annual Charles H. Percy Summer in Washington reception! Students reconnected with alumni and former IOP Prtizker Fellows and networked with Washington professionals to learn more about careers in politics. It was wonderful to see everyone!

This summer, the IOP will be hosting pop-up events examining breaking news stories! Next Tuesday, join us for a conversation about President Trump’s expanded domestic use of the military, ranging from his deployment of national guard troops in Los Angeles to his non-wartime grand military parade in Washington. Is this justified or dangerous? And what should we expect next?

Featuring David French, journalist and legal scholar who served in the U.S. Army Reserve as a judge advocate, and Matthew Bartlett, Republican strategist and former Trump State Department appointee. Moderated by IOP Director Heidi Heitkamp.

If you’re in Chicago, come join us at the IOP for this event. Dinner served. The discussion will also be accessible via Zoom and via YouTube livestream. RSVP at the link in our bio.

We absolutely loved seeing our graduating students and their families last week! Congratulations to the Class of 2025—we can’t wait to see all that you accomplish. The IOP will be cheering you on every step of the way! 

The full photo album is available to view and download through the IOP’s Flickr at the link in our bio.

When the students are away (doing finals), IOP staff come out to play. Yesterday we had a strategic vision and planning session, in which we strategically envisioned our plans for 2025 (exciting news coming soon). We also enjoyed a nonpartisan, nondenominational holiday party and even volunteered for a few hours at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We don't mean to brag, but we packed like 2000 hams.

On this Giving Tuesday, a donation to the Institute of Politics will help us to continue carrying out our mission to inspire young people to pursue a life in the service of others. If you’ve experienced the value of our programming, and if you believe in our mission, we humbly ask you to consider making a donation this giving season.

Your tax-deductible contribution to the IOP helps us fund programming for our community and the next generation of public service leaders. Donate at the link in our bio.

Happy early Thanksgiving to our IOP staff and interns! Our interns are always there to welcome you to the IOP House, and our staff is always happy to help you find ways to get involved in politics and public service.

If you are looking for a community of women and gender minorities passionate about public service, leadership development, and skill building, Ella Storm and Simrun Singh think is the perfect place for you.

As a first-year, Ella was drawn to W+ because of the diverse perspectives that the group introduced her to. “I went to a rural highschool where there wasn't much openness to different perspectives, so it was really nice to have a place where there were people like me who respected me for who I am."

Now as co-chairs of the Winter Institute at W+, Ella and Simrun are working to foster community inside the IOP. For Simrun, "it felt really good to be a part of something bigger," and W+ helped her find a place on campus with people who had a similar passion for politics and public service. "I felt really empowered by all the people around me to ask questions and say, oh, I'm interested in this, I want to learn more, how can I get involved?"

Right now, W+ is gearing up for their Winter Institute, a 10-week leadership development cohort that runs in winter quarter. Weekly cohort meetings dive deep into topics in politics, career development, and issues that uniquely impact women and gender minorities.

If you're interested in joining W+, applications for the Winter Institute close November 11, and you can also drop by their weekly general body meetings on Thursdays at 6:30 pm in the IOP living room!