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The  in Public Affairs is a full-time, 9-month, graduate-level leadership-training program that prepares individuals for effective and ethical leadership in the public affairs arena. Siegler, a philosophy major from Boca Raton, Fla., will be doing her fellowship in San Francisco.

Sixty-eight Fellows are chosen nationally each year through a highly competitive selection process, including a day-long assessment at each center's city (Los Angeles, New York, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, and St. Louis). Siegler is Occidental's 22nd Coro Fellow.

Siegler will take part in internships paired with lectures, seminars, and individual and group projects throughout the duration of the fellowship. She will rotate through various organizations that influence and shape public interest. Her participation will include political campaigns, business offices, community centers, and legal offices. The work performed will vary as much as the placements themselves.

"Coro is quite structured in its mission and education; however, when it comes to internship placements, it is quite free-form and really allows for the Fellow to truly make a meaningful impact within the organization," said Siegler, who said she applied because she thought it would be good preparation for law school. She is interested in becoming a public interest attorney.

The application and interview process are rigorous and open to anyone who has completed a BA. Fellows range from recent college grads to senior attorneys looking to make an industry switch. "Some of those I interviewed with had been working as grass-roots organizers for a number of years, were teachers in inner-city schools, assistants to judges, etc.," Siegler said. "As a senior philosophy major I definitely had a unique perspective, but was showing my leadership skills and experience through being president of the women's rugby team! That experience seemed to pale in comparison to my counterparts'!"

The goal of the Coro program is to introduce participants to all aspects of the public affairs arena, preparing them to translate their ideals into action for improving their own communities and beyond. Coro Fellows gain hands-on project experience; an understanding of complex public issues; leadership skills; the political acumen to get things done; and extensive personal and professional networks. 

"I thought Coro would be perfect for me since it will provide an extraordinary examination of the area in which I would like to practice law--maybe even revealing a more effective way to make a difference in the community," Siegler said.