Where are you from? Deerfield, IL
School/grade/major: Harvard, Sophomore, Classics and Statistics
Last Thing You Binged: “Return of Parks and Rec” – it’s been on hiatus for too long!
Why did you choose to intern with Microsoft?
My interest in technology was born when my dad brought home a Compaq desktop computer running Windows 98 — I was four at the time. Politics followed soon after when I tried to understand the 2000 election (my six-year-old self had much trouble making sense of the Electoral College). My time here at Microsoft has allowed me to bridge both of these interests by engaging with civic technology.
What projects are you working on for your position as tech fellow for MSNE?
I’m currently developing training solutions for our local government users. Microsoft has a tremendous amount of resources available online; I’m trying to package these in a way that is more useful to public sector workers.
What excites you about civic tech?
Civic tech reflects my generation’s evolving attitudes on political participation. Rather than casting our votes every November then sitting back for the remainder of the year, we’re using technology to turn government into a leaner, swifter machine.
What’s one problem you hope civic tech will solve for cities?
Citizens deserve to be more closely involved with their local governments’ budgeting process. Cities throughout the country are already using technology to give their constituents greater influence on where their tax dollars go. As more municipalities begin to embrace civic tech, I hope this trend continues across the nation.