Skip to main content

CITC Reflections

Cal in the Capital Honors Public Service

In honor of the Public Service Center’s 50th anniversary, Cal in the Capital (CITC) alumni share what public service means to them, the people who serve, and what they have learned from their service experiences. For the past 50 years, Cal in the Capital participants have been serving in congressional offices, federal and other government agencies, think tanks, nonprofit organizations, media centers, private companies, and research institutions, serving the public and preparing for careers in public service.

Barbara Lee, ’75, Congresswoman, Cal in the Capital Alumna

Barbara Lee

“Help people through direct service but also through indirect service, and that’s public service — that’s trying to change those systems and institutions that are impacting people’s daily lives, which create a lot of stress. My parents could not buy a house in San Leandro. Today, I represent San Leandro. Change happens.”

Dr. Michael McGinnis, CITC Founder 1965

Dr. Michael McGinnis

“One element of the program that I think is special is that it’s been student run. Student started and student run. I think that gives it a very special dynamism and character. The contribution of students when they’re on the scene is a contribution that is not just expressed in terms of the work they do, but also in terms of the spirit they bring.”

Dr. Angela Browne-Miller, CITC Intern 1980-1981

Dr. Angela Browne-Miller,

“My Cal in the Capital experience was immensely valuable and continues to affect my work and life to this day. I was placed as an intern in President Carter’s White House Conference on Families, and then continued the work I had been doing for the Office for Families when President Reagan came into office. All this was invaluable, profoundly formative for me.”

Jose Luis Bedolla, ’92 Former CITC Director

Jose Luis Bedolla

“My parents taught me that if you have something, you give back. No matter how little you have, you always give back.”

Jose Luis Bedolla and his wife, Berkeley Professor Lisa Garcia Bedolla, endowed a scholarship for undocumented students at Berkeley in honor of his parents.

Greta Bedekovics, ’18, CITC Student Academic & Events Director

Greta Bedekovics

“My family has seen a great deal of social injustice. I’m from Hungary and my great-grandparents were forced out of their ancestral homes and threatened with death after WWII. Then my parents had to grow up under communism. Having my family live through all of this and then seeing how this is still happening in the world has made me passionate about correcting social injustices by being a public servant.”