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My internship here at The Center for Education Reform (CER) is drawing to a close and although I have spent an entire semester here, I am finding it hard to piece together words that accurately describe my experience. I met Outreach Coordinator, Tyler, at a nonprofit networking event, and immediately was hooked on CER and everything the organization stood for. On my first day, I was blown away by how much was going on at all times around the office. Press releases were being written, phone interviews were taking place, and all of the sudden I was heading out the door to attend a panel event. Amongst all of the hard work and deadlines, the thing that immediately separated CER from other offices was the heart that the staff puts into the work.

One of the most rewarding takeaways of this experience is seeing how many great people are behind education reform and knowing that I, in some way, helped. Updating data, researching topics, going to events, visiting charter schools; all of these day-to-day tasks I accomplished all went toward a greater goal. I loved that this wasn’t an internship where people were just clocking in and out. Instead, it was an environment of individuals who actually care about making education better. Attending events opened my eyes to the power of conversation and human interaction. I learned so much about other areas of education reform just by attending events and striking up conversation about CER and other organizations with those around me. It was amazing to be able to attend panel discussions, which covered education research and data, as well as First Fridays, where I could experience a more hands-on approach by visiting charter school classrooms. The mix of traveling to events and researching from a computer gave me an authentic behind-the-scenes experience with policy reform.

As an intern at CER, I was also able to write for the Media Bullpen. Analyzing and summarizing articles for the Media Bullpen has changed the way I interpret information and has allowed me to inform other people of news in just a few quick, analytical sentences. Writing those responses has made me more aware of current affairs, both nationally and locally, and has equipped me with the ability to sift through information.

What scares me most about how much I have learned about school choice during this internship is exactly that—how much I have learned. To think that I was so unaware of all of the options out there makes me question how much the rest of the country knows. Consider the people not lucky enough to intern with CER… what do they know about education reform? Knowledge is power, and bringing more people into the conversation is key. There are so many education options available, but none of those strides can be successful if families are unaware that opportunities even exist.

So with that, I unfortunately must leave CER, but my time working towards improving education is far from over. I love what I have been able to do as a CER intern, and as I continue to work in research and policy, I am excited to remain active in the education reform movement. I hope to continue working in research and policy, and the skills I have acquired and honed here at CER will shape my work in the future. I will forever be impressed by the incredible work the staff produces and inspired by their unwavering diligence and passion. CER has given me an example of knowledge into action and the passion it takes to really push for the success of a movement. I have absolutely no regrets about the experience (except for taking five college courses simultaneously…oops) and will continue to channel the skills I have developed here into future endeavors. I cannot wait to continue my involvement with education reform.

Brett Swanson, CER Intern