Dell Scholars: From South Bend to the White House

Makaila’s drive to create meaningful change through public policy began in high school when she interned for Mayor Pete Buttigieg in her hometown of South Bend, Indiana. He would later become the youngest person ever to serve as Secretary of Transportation, and she describes seeing his day-to-day life and his policy achievements at such a young age as a tremendous inspiration.

Following her selection as a Dell Scholar, Makaila headed to Pennsylvania for college, graduating from Franklin & Marshall College with a degree in biology and government in May 2022. During her junior and senior years, she applied for fellowships to continue her studies internationally and was selected as a 2021 Truman Scholar in recognition of her dedication to public service. After a stint at the Commerce Department focused on international trade, she went to Beijing to study at Tsinghua University as a Schwarzman Scholar, graduating with a Master of Global Affairs in July 2023.

With a heart for service leadership, Makaila describes the role she envisions as a public servant: “What does it mean to build your communities from the ground up, but also make sure that everyone’s being cared for and looked after?” Today, she is working at the White House and aspires to one day serve as a U.S. Senator.

Building Community for Tomorrow

When it came to attending college out of state, Makaila describes how the experience had an impact on her life: “I really loved being away from home for college. I think that’s exactly what I needed in order to become the person I am today.” That meant finding her footing in a new place and building community far from home.

She encourages Dell Scholars to take advantage of their college years to build a strong community: “First, start thinking about where you want to be in five years and who you want to become. Second, who do you want to be with you along that journey, and how do you meet those people?” As she describes, the relationships you build today become the community you can lean on in the future.

Those relationships would also inform Makaila’s philosophy around what it means to serve community through her career. She was involved in student government as a junior and senior, including as student body president during senior year, roles which pushed her to build relationships across the entire campus: “I always wanted to make sure that I was willing to listen to people’s perspectives. I see myself as an advocate on other people’s behalf, so by understanding what they say, I can better the systems that we live in.”

Gaining New Perspective Abroad

With support from Dell Scholars advisors, she learned to navigate her financial aid and map out a plan to study abroad. During her senior year, Makaila applied her Dell Scholars funds to study in Sevilla and the Andalucia region of southern Spain. Her government studies were largely focused on diplomacy and international relations, and in Spain, she explored the topics of colonialism, history, and anthropology, while also strengthening her language skills – a critical skillset for future diplomacy work.

The experience laid the foundation for Makaila to pursue graduate studies internationally: “I wanted to go abroad again after my college graduation, because I knew I wanted to be uncomfortable again, but also be really deep into this mindset of learning. And that’s exactly what I had when I was in China.”

Looking to the future, Makaila is keen to find other opportunities to live and travel abroad, either through her studies or career. Beyond the opportunity to strengthen her language skills, she wants to learn more about how institutions work around the world, insights and experiences that will be instrumental to her future as an elected official.