Friday afternoon was a very tentative first stop on the campaign trail for the 24 fellows of the 10th annual Michigan Political Leadership Program.
The program, which kicked off this weekend, was hosted by MSU’s Institute for Public Policy and Social Research.
“There are a lot of things lay people don’t understand, like how to run a political campaign and manage funds,” said Greg Ostrander, a graduate student in the MSU Department of Resource Development and a 2002 fellow.
Each year, 24 fellowships are awarded to applicants across the state. This year, 110 people applied to take part in the program, which is held once monthly for 10 months. Winners varied in age, political views,and personal and professional backgrounds.
Deemed a way for people to engage in a “public policy and leadership curriculum,” the program aims to help fellows “gain the expertise to tackle public policy issues as candidates for office, as government officials or as citizen activists.”
When Ostrander, a 32-year-old Republican from DeWitt, became more interested in politics, his wife urged him to get involved.
“My wife said, ‘If you think you can do better, go ahead,’” Ostrander said.
“But I know that even the best ideals don’t make you good at it. It’s important that we learn how to work together, to communicate and to understand each other.”
Dulles Copedge, 45, of Lansing already considers himself a “citizen activist.”
“Two of us did all the paperwork to revive the Ingham County Democratic Party Caucus,” Copedge said. “And I am very active in the community.”
Copedge said learning to collaborate with people with views different from his own would be a valuable thing to bring back to the community.
“I applied (for the fellowship) because I believed it would help me grow,” Copedge said. “It will help me understand more of a complete political picture. Then I can bring that back to the community.”
Having the chance to interact with a wide array of diverse people is another bonus for the program fellows.
“I’ve met so many dynamic people who really make me think,” said Zena Biocca, 46, of East Lansing. “We’re learning things like coalition building, learning to negotiate and getting things across in a positive way instead of attacking each other.”
