Robert Norris
Tunxis Community College
Robert Norris, a first-year student at Tunxis Community College, has been the embodiment of student citizenship. He was active in local politics while in high school when he joined the Model Congress Team. He most recently was accepted into the Connecticut Legislative Internship program. However, he is such a stellar student and participant in local politics that he was asked to be a clerk working for the Connecticut General Assembly. He so impressed the members of the CGA in part because he has volunteered his time working on three separate campaigns for state representative. Robert is one of those young people who is genuinely committed to politics because of the intrinsic worth it holds rather than for personal gain. The state of Connecticut and this nation would do well to have more young people such as Robert. He simply would be a deserving recipient of the Newman Fellowship.
Personal Statement
My sincere interest in the political realm began in high school when I joined the Model Congress team. It was during my senior year at Yale University's 2016 conference where I was a mock Representative on the Foreign Affairs Committee and had my bill unanimously passed. This would not have been possible without bipartisan collaboration and debate; following this, my bill won the 'Best Legislation' award for the conference which inspired me to pursue my interest on a real-world level and intern at the Connecticut State Capitol. There, I worked for no scholastic credit or monetary compensation but did it to support the interests of the caucus in which I was assigned. After the internship ended, I began a new internship working as a political activist for my State Senator's and three State Representative's campaigns and was also elected to my school's student government association. I find that through public service in the world of politics, and with collaboration from all viewpoints, we can peacefully endeavor to solve our communities' issues one step at a time.
