Kaleigh Pitcher‘s love of public service is rooted in the ability to impact people’s lives for the better on a larger scale. She explains,

I think my interest really picked up in undergrad, where I studied political science and history. I was able to learn in depth about past and present injustices that need to be rectified. There is truly so much work to be done, and public policy is a great field to go in if you want to effect positive, widespread change.

After graduating from Binghamton University Kaleigh moved to Connecticut from her home state of New York. She joined the Master of Public Policy (MPP) program at the School of Public Policy (SPP) during the fall of 2021. This academic year she completed her Internship and Professional Practice (IPP) with Save the Sound as a Climate Policy Intern.

Throughout her internship she has supported the communications and legislative teams and worked with the environmental justice and climate departments. She adds,

One of my favorite parts of the internship has been highlighting the stories of young eco-advocates because the climate movement is primarily motivated by young people and sometimes I am just in awe of their stories. I find that a lot of people don’t realize how much of an advocate they are until we conduct an interview! I also love being on the front lines of the legislative team, where I am able to translate some complicated issues into digestible information for our members and other advocates.

Earlier this month Kaleigh started as a Policy Consultant with Save the Sound. Some of her favorite SPP memories have come from her IPP and the opportunity to spend time with her Save The Sound team.

After graduation she hopes to work in either legislative research or lobbying. Her focus areas include social policy and health policy due to their relation to human rights. Kaleigh hopes to advance progressive policies from a legislative perspective. We look forward to seeing how Kaleigh and the Class of 2023 impact our world!