This February, digital journalism alumna and Special Olympics marketing manager Ali Phenauf ’19 participated in her first Capitol Hill Day in Washington, D.C., advocating for continued federal funding to support Unified Champion Schools and Health programs—key initiatives that advance Special Olympics’ mission of inclusion.
Capitol Hill Day is an annual event where more than 250 delegates and volunteers meet with members of Congress to raise awareness and secure U.S. government funding in the health and education sectors.
The experience, she said, was inspiring and reignited her passion for policy research and advocacy, skills she first honed while studying journalism at Fairfield. “This experience reignited my passion for researching current events, analyzing policies, and advocating with facts vs. opinions,” Phenauf shared.
A takeaway moment for her was witnessing the confidence and perseverance of Special Olympics Massachusetts athletes James Day Keith and Melissa Reilly. Tasked with opening each of their 10 meetings with state representatives, the athletes spoke firsthand about how Special Olympics programming has shaped their lives. “They never wavered,” Phenauf said. “Their constant positive energy was beyond inspiring. To have the voices of our athletes be the focus of every meeting just shows firsthand why it matters.”
Beyond the advocacy efforts, Capitol Hill Day provided an opportunity for Phenauf to connect with Special Olympics athletes and staff from across the country as well as touring the National Mall with the Minnesota delegation.
Reflecting on her career path, Phenauf noted that her journey from interning at NBC Universal; and writing for The Fairfield Mirror to working at Business Insider before landing at Special Olympics was anything but linear. “It kind of shows that the lessons I learned at Fairfield go beyond just what my major was,” she said.
