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Political science student selected as Presidential Fellow
Political science student selected as Presidential Fellow
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| Tony Listi |
Listi first became involved in politics at an early age, as president of his fourth grade class, but has been interested in government and public policy since high school.
Involvement at Texas A&M benefits career aspirations
His student involvement at Texas A&M has reflected those interests, where he is currently chairman of the resurrected Young Conservatives of Texas. Listi also serves as the Memorial Student Center (MSC) Vice President for Educational Exploration, which oversees six MSC organizations that explore ethnic, social and political issues.
Listi previously served as a chair in the Memorial Student Center Student Conference on National Affairs (SCONA), a three-day conference that brings students and experts from across the country to explore an issue of national or international significance.
Listi, who is minoring in history and philosophy, participated in
the College of Liberal Arts’ Cornerstone Program Learning Community for
honors-eligible liberal arts majors.
He has traveled to Italy and Germany with the Honors Office and Cornerstone Program, and hopes to study and/or intern in China or the Middle East in order to gain a better perspective of U.S. international relations and foreign policy. Every summer of his college career, Listi has interned in Washington, D.C., most recently with the Heritage Foundation.
According to the Heritage website, “The Heritage Foundation is a research and educational institute - a think tank - whose mission is to formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense.”
Listi is just finishing up his summer internship with Heritage, which he referred to as “an amazing experience.”
During the internship, Listi
participated in a focus group hosted by Ed Feulner, the president of
the foundation, discussing how Heritage can better reach out to college
students in promoting its policy research. Afterwards Listi researched
and gave presentations on the topic of online youth
outreach.
Fortunately for Listi, his next endeavor as a Presidential Fellow will
take him back to D.C. on a regular basis where he will continue to
learn from presidential scholars.
Conferences give scholars outlet to discuss national issues
The Center for the Study of the Presidency is a non-profit organization that studies past successes and failures of the presidency and relates the findings to present challenges and opportunities.
Presidential Fellows attend two conferences in Washington, D.C., where they discuss national issues with presidential scholars and are briefed by senior government officials and nationally recognized public policy experts.
The centerpiece of the program is the research, writing, and defense of an original paper on the presidency and its publication in “A Dialogue on Presidential Challenges and Leadership.”
Donald J. Curtis, Jr., assistant dean in the College of Liberal Arts and director of the Cornerstone Program, says Listi has always been one of the most inquisitive and informed students in the college learning community.
“I was very excited to see Tony awarded this opportunity because of his interest in the American political process in general and the study of the American Presidency in particular,” said Curtis. “I could not think of a better or more qualified representative of Texas A&M University to embark on this program.”
What’s next for this Presidential Fellow?
Listi plans to do a senior thesis on fusionist conservatism, which is an attempt to reconcile the libertarian and traditional wings of the movement. After graduation, he plans on applying for a position at the Heritage Foundation..
“Heritage is starting to take web technology and youth outreach very seriously. I would love to be a part of that process—helping Heritage promote conservatism among college students and young professionals,” Listi said.
Listi does plan on attending graduate school—eventually—combining his interests in philosophy and international relations.
“I want to spend my career influencing American political culture and public policy in a conservative direction,” said Listi. “I would like to be a leader in the conservative movement.”
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Contact: Holly Lambert, hollyalyselambert@libarts.tamu.edu, 979.862.4879
