Cassidy Pregil is a rising junior at Georgetown University and is pursuing a major in American Studies and a minor in Justice and Peace Studies. Her academic interests include a combination of social justice, environmentalism, and indigenous rights, which she’s worked to pursue this year as an intern at the Forest Service.
What are you excited to learn about during your internship this summer?
I’m really excited to explore the wide range of departments that an agency as vast as the Forest Service has and see how everything connects and works together. There’s so many different cogs operating, and so far I’ve had an incredible time shadowing in everything from environmental justice to tribal relations with the federal government. As an American Studies major, I love looking at how things intersect and affect each other to create the norms in our society, and something as complicated as land ownership has been fascinating to study.
The Forest Service stewards some of the largest areas of public lands in the world and faces intersections of American history, native peoples, conservation, and contemporary issues surrounding water, climate change, wildfire, and more. It’s uniquely American, and while I’m still trying to dissect what “American” even means, being able to pursue my interests in the environment and observe how we deal with these complexities is such an awesome opportunity. I’m also looking forward to really delving into how the government runs from the inside as someone who’s never really studied the legislative process and everything that entails. Everyday decisions are made that impact us even if we don’t realize it, and to witness it unfolding is pretty special.
Why did you decide to spend your summer with CAPAL?
I loved the idea of being able to go out and work in a sector of the government that was interesting to me and, at the end of the day, have a home base of people with such a wide range of backgrounds and interests. I also wanted the opportunity to be in DC because despite going to school here, I really haven’t had the time to observe and process how the heart of the nation operates. CAPAL seemed like a really incredible opportunity to not only work in DC, but directly apply this work and what I’ve learned to my experience as a member of the AANHPI community in efforts to help each other pursue our passions and interests in public service. I was exactly right in this respect, as so far it’s been exactly that – a safe space to engage in critical dialogue and share experiences that allow us to grow from the perspective of others and form a sense of camaraderie around our similarities.
Why is public service important to you?
Public service is important to me because I see it as both as a responsibility and an honor. I’ve been blessed with an education centered around the Native Hawaiian perspective as opposed to the curriculum often drenched in the narrative of the colonizer. It’s through this opportunity that I was able to learn about what it means to be a member of this community and the issues that we face in today’s society. To be able to do work so meaningful to me while helping those in various communities has been absolutely incredible. I’ve been privileged in many aspects of life, and I feel it’s my job to utilize the toolkit I’ve been given and help others in a way that suits my strengths and interests. So often we speak of the “American Dream” where, if one works hard enough, they can achieve anything they wish to in this country full of opportunity. Regardless of how many success stories we hear or how hard we work to spread this message, it doesn’t change the fact that we are so far from an equal playing field in everything from education to subtle bias in day-to-day life. I could work towards becoming an exception as a minority reaching Western definitions of success, or I can work to alter the culture in which we operate so that those of minority backgrounds no longer need to be “the exception.” In a capitalist culture of survival of the fittest, I’ve found it’s absolutely necessary to lean on others in our community, and I can think nothing more gratifying to do with my time than pursue a career in public service.
What is something that people usually don’t expect or know about you?
I’m ordained, I can blink really fast, and I’ve been bitten by a snake (on the face).
What do you do in your free time?
Mainly on pay days when I’m feeling really good I’ll check out different restaurants with my friends or get food delivered and hang and watch Netflix. Otherwise I’m napping, rock climbing/doing anything outdoorsy, or listening to music/playing guitar.
Meet all of our CAPAL Scholars & Interns here.
Sharon Le is a rising third-year student at the University of Virginia, double majoring in Psychology and Spanish, on the Pre-Law track. Sharon served as the External Vice President for the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA@UVA) the past year, and is also involved in Phi Alpha Delta – the International Pre-Law Fraternity, and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention Team at the University. She was greatly exposed to the Asian Pacific American representation not only through her involvement with the Vietnamese community in Northern Virginia with VSA but also through her background – having grown up in Vietnam and moving to America in high school. Sharon hopes to promote Asian Pacific American leadership with her commitments and to give the community a bigger voice in the country.