After an unforgettable campaign, heated debates, rousing speeches and history-making decisions, we now know that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States.
Though the verdict is in, people should remember that the country needs more than just one man to lead and shape this country’s future.
Now, more than ever, this nation needs students to consider careers in the public service sphere.
Throughout this campaign both candidates have outlined the challenges that face the country. We’ve seen why their calls for sacrifice from every American are not baseless and exaggerated. We should know that jobs in the fields of education, public-interest law, emergency services and government employment are all ways to meet that call for sacrifice.
Brian Walker, a political science professor currently teaching “Citizenship and Public Service,” said he decided to teach the course because he believes a public university like UCLA should have a program that orients people toward civic engagement.
When asked whether the nation needs more students to pursue public service, Walker said, “Absolutely, … not nearly enough students pay attention to public service as a career … It’s a shame because you have what’s potentially a great leadership community going into the private sphere when the state needs more highly qualified and intelligent servants.”
Public service is undoubtedly a frightening field in which to seek out a job. Careers are often only available at entry levels, which means you probably have a low pay scale and long road to the top. Mobility within those jobs can be slow and difficult to achieve and where the world of politics is concerned, public service can be risky and cut-throat ““ just look at the attacks against Obama’s role as a community organizer.
But there are always exceptions to the rule. Well-paid jobs are not impossible to find, and careers in both government and non-profit organizations can be relatively lucrative.
Though it can seem daunting, public service is the field that allows us to give back to the community that has provided so many opportunities for us. All of us at UCLA are beneficiaries of our state; we pay a small portion of the true cost of our education because our personal pocketbooks are not the only source of funds for the university.
Though we are beneficiaries, we are not bound to repay our debt. Public service is a choice, and while it is not the only path we can take to pay back what we owe to our communities, it is certainly one of the most direct ways to do so. As a result, these careers are in need of attention from college graduates around the nation.
In an effort to push more students to recognize the need for leadership in the service arena, UCLA has created a civic engagement minor aimed toward students who want to examine public policy at the local, state and national levels. In addition to this minor, opportunities await students during their university career and directly after graduation in such programs as JusticeCorps and Teach for America.
JusticeCorps participants help relieve an overburdened justice system by assisting self-represented litigants in courts throughout California. And Teach for America participants dedicate two years to teaching at under-resourced public schools.
These programs aim to point students in the right direction on the road to a career in public service and they demonstrate just how much our community needs bright young people to lead the next generation in service to this country.
I think it’s safe to assume that most of us here at UCLA are not merely looking to make our own way in the world. We understand that as citizens, we are inextricably bound to each other and therefore bound to help each other. When we help each other, we benefit the nation as a whole.
Ultimately, that’s what public service is all about. It’s about knowing that we are doing something outside of ourselves, that we are contributing to, whether on the smallest of levels or on the grandest stage, the community around us.
Tuesday was an exciting day for politics, but today, and every day hereafter, can be an exiting day for us.
The election may have ended, but our role in the story of this nation has only just begun. Our communities are calling for organizers, our schools cry out for educators and our nation is ready for the next generation, our generation, to step up, proudly acknowledge our citizenship, and engage in that selfless public service that can change the face of American society.
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If you think public service is the way to go, e-mail Fitzpatrick at cfitzpatrick@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.