Jacob Lowy
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Lowy did a summer internship with U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer.
Ever since he began learning about the American Revolution in seventh grade, Lowy has been passionate about participating in the democratic processes of our country. His internship with Senator Schumer entailed some of the rote tasks, such as filing, that every internship experience does, but he says he found his work in the office to be motivating and even more exciting that he imagined.
"I wanted to experience politics and political action in an everyday situation," he says. This meant helping to develop grassroot connections with constituents, doing research for the press office, and attending meetings with lobbyist groups where he wrote memos and briefs for the Senator. "The summer I worked for Senator Schumer was Obama's first year in office, so it was a really exciting one," he says. Every week they would sit down with the Senator's chief of staff to discuss the issues being debated on the Senate floor, which included healthcare, gun restrictions, immigration, and the confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court.
Lowy thinks he'll probably end up working in politics or non-profits, but he may also have a future in music. He played in the first violin section of the Greater Westchester Youth Orchestra Association for five years, where he made some of his best friends. His last concert with them was at Carnegie Hall, and he now makes music with the Bi-Co Orchestra and a chamber music group.