RELP Testimonials
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Elsa Ordway »
“An enlightening week with amazing access to some high-profile people.”
Kate Lewis »
“Gave me an inside perspective on how DC feels, and I wouldn't have gotten that otherwise. Now I am exposed to a lot more opportunities.”
Jeremy Hsu »
“It’s been an incredible opportunity to examine the breadth of how science and policy interact."
Jennifer Hartle »
“This week has been a game changer. Coming here changed my perspective about how to solve problems, and helped me see where my environmental health work fits into the overall environmental puzzle. I look forward to taking what I learned to push for solutions inside and outside of my department.”
Karim Farhat »
“Insightful, insider’s view of DC.”
Sebastien Tilmans »
Civil & Environmental Engineering
"Spending Thursday morning attending two congressional hearings was amazing because it allowed me to synthesize all the information I had learned over the week while witnessing the government at work. It was tremendously rewarding because I realized how well RELP had trained me to analyze the dynamics in the room and better understand what was going on. It's too easy to view DC as a town full of doctrinaires and obstructionists. I was consistently struck with the realism of the people we met, and their eagerness to get things done. I'm far more optimistic about the government than I was previously. I learned more about how the government really works in one week at RELP than I did in all my years growing up in the DC area. A truly revelatory experience."
Nina Overgaard Therkildsen »
Biology
The DC Bootcamp was an amazing week. And the year-round programs with our cohort have helped build my leadership and communication skills. One of the most rewarding aspects of the program was the opportunity to hear insightful personal perspectives from such a broad array of engaging speakers who work in various capacities within policy. These personal accounts gave me a much better understanding of how the policy process operates and how I can work to make my science more useful for decision-makers in the future.
George Korir »
Medicine and Bioengineering
"The program was extremely rewarding and enriching on multiple fronts: the speaker panels were absolutely outstanding! I also really enjoyed spending time with other RELPers and getting to know them better. I look forward to our friendships developing even beyond the program.
I felt that for the first time, I got a sense of how DC works, and how policy is generally implemented at the national level. I came out of the experience a changed person, more acutely aware of the importance of effective communication and a expanded outlook of global challenges rooted in changes to the environment. Moving forward, I feel better equipped to address challenges to health and wellness in developing countries with a more systemic viewpoint and additional ways through which I can actively share my work effectively with policy makers to help drive positive change. I felt inspired to immediately start taking action and not wait until I am done with my studies."
James Flanagan »
Chemistry
"Impressive and extensive agenda and program exploring the interaction between government agencies, think tanks, advocates, academics and Congress. I think such an insight could only be gained by such an immersive experience in DC. With the number and diversity of incredible people I’ve met during the RELP experience, week, I’ve greatly developed my leadership and communication skills - especially important for a chemist like myself, as chemistry essentially has a language of its own!"
Stephen Comello »
"DC Bootcamp performed beyond my expectations, challenging my assumptions, shedding new light on policy formation, and building the foundations for strong relationships, both with the leaders with whom we’ve engaged and my cohort of fellows. From the diverse and engaging skill-building opportunities from before Bootcamp, to Bootcamp itself, and onward to future programs planned for the cohort, the Woods team is outstanding, professional, incredibly dedicated. I have nothing but praise and gratitude for them and this transformational experience."