From Hill fellow to chief of staff

Grace Nakamura was a fellow in APAICS's very first cohort, in 1997-98. She answered constituent mail, wrote her first memo on immigration casework and, she says, "learned that the best staffers are the ones who pick up the phone."

Twenty-eight years later she is chief of staff in a Senate office - legislative assistant, legislative director, deputy chief and now chief, without leaving the Hill.

"Every year I hire at least one APAICS fellow," she says. "They arrive ready, and they stay in public service." Grace is one of five mentors on the Careers page, and you can find her in the alumni directory.

Placeholder story for the demo - the alumna or alumnus and details are invented.