Learn from a young professional about fellowships, networks, and tips for making your way in Washington.
Emily Burden is Program Manager for the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundations Speech & Debate Program, where she oversees a national initiative dedicated to debate reform for students in grades 6–12. Since 2021, Emily has worked in Washington, DC’s liberal arts nonprofit sector, previously serving as associate director of the Hertog Foundation and program manager at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA). Her experience is informed by participation in selective fellowships and seminars with the American Enterprise Institute, Stand Together, The Fund for American Studies, and the Catherine Project. Emily graduated from Brigham Young University in 2020 with a degree in flute performance and maintains a small flute studio in northern Virginia. Passing on the best of our inheritance to the next generation ties together her interests in civics, literature, music, art, and politics.