DREF Congratulates STJ Summer Intern Azana Danielle Bruce

This summer, I had the honor of serving as the Delta Research and Educational Foundation (DREF) Stephanie Tubbs Jones Intern through the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation(CBCF) in the office of Congresswoman Joyce Beatty, representing Ohio’s 3rd District, and I’m still sitting with how much this experience has shaped me.

I walked in hoping to learn how policy gets made. I walked out with a deeper understanding of what it means to serve. Every casework file, every constituent phone call, every conversation in the halls of the Capitol reminded me that policy isn’t abstract. It’s someone’s rent, someone’s healthcare, someone’s neighborhood. Congresswoman Beatty and her team showed me what it looks like to carry a district’s hopes into rooms where decisions are made, and to never lose sight of the people back home while doing it.

Beyond the office, CBCF opened doors I’ll never forget. From visiting Comcast’s headquarters in Philadelphia and seeing how corporate leadership intersects with public policy, to volunteering at the Scholarship Classic, where I connected with stakeholders who are shaping our communities in ways I hope to one day. And through it all, the leadership sessions CBCF built into this program gave me tools I’ll carry into whatever policy path I choose, reminding me that this fellowship wasn’t just preparing me for a job, but for a career of service.

I’m endlessly grateful to CBCF for creating a pathway for young Black professionals to step into public service, and to Congresswoman Beatty’s office for trusting me with real responsibility from day one. This experience didn’t just teach me about policy — it confirmed why I want to spend my career in it.

Thank you to the Leadership Institute Team, DREF, Team Beatty, the Jones Family, and 311. Here’s to the next chapter, and bringing every community that raised me, with me.

#CBCF #PublicService #PolicyMatters #CommunityDevelopment #OH03