Week Two

Week Two:
In week two we really began to focus. We had some great guest speakers (i.e. the head of the Assembly budget committee, the deputy director of the budget for the department of finance, and a staff member from the legislative analyst’s office). We had engaging and informational seminars on term limits and the budget. We met more high- ranking and influential leaders and Assembly staff members (many of which are former fellows) that gave us knowledge and insight in to the working in the Assembly. We also got wooed by a couple more Assemblymembers and did more team building/ informational exercises. We went on an “Agricultural tour” which started with learning about the department of Food and Agriculture and meeting and then proceeded to an agricultural non-profit, a daily (which I could not stand, poor cows) and a winery.
I cannot express enough how much access this programs allows Fellows to have. During week two we met with two more Assemblymembers, were fed by another one, met with the chief clerk and got time to ask questions to people who know the building really well. Also, we got another chance to talk to talk to the selection committee who are all heavy weights in the Capital. It is so great. All the former fellows that still work in the Capital tell us that in our fellowship we are able to get people on the phone, or to help us like no one else. They said now that they are out of their fellowship year they do not have the same access.