Emily Schlichting is on the short list of 21 year olds who have testified in front of the U.S. Senate. How she got there is a testament to her leadership and to the power of communication. This past summer, Emily was interning at the Center for American Progress when she stumbled across a website by a nonprofit group called the Young Invincibles asking for people's stories about how the new health insurance reform law has affected them. Emily shared her story, which ended up being recorded on video and widely circulated. She was invited to attend press conferences with major players on the health care policy circuit, and featured in the White House 50 States, 50 Stories campaign. Ultimately she testified in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee about how health insurance reform impacts young people. She was recently awarded a prestigious Truman Scholarship. She says "Communication Studies might be one of the most difficult majors to explain, but it is one of the most rewarding subjects to study. My four years in the department have led me to believe that most interdisciplinary of all the majors at UNL. For me, it has furthered my understanding and passion for public policy. My classes in organizational, political, and identity-based communication have been critical in my success as activist. During my interview for the Truman Scholarship, it was my Communication Studies courses that supplemented my analytical policy skills and allowed me to give well-rounded answers that incorporated a theoretically-backed messaging approach for my policy proposal."
