BPI Alumni Spotlight: Sam Heidorn

Enjoy the latest from our blog series highlighting former BPI staff, fellows, interns, and directors. Today we’re profiling Sam Heidorn.

Affiliation with BPI
2015 Summer Intern for Early Education

Current Position
Rising senior majoring in history at Wabash College

Fun fact about yourself
I was an Eagle Scout. I learned how to pack for a trip very efficiently. 

Why did you choose to work at BPI?

Last summer I worked with Youth Guidance, which provides educational programs for at-risk youth. But I wanted to work on the policy side of things since I had done community advocacy work. Youth Guidance referred me to BPI, and I met with Angela Bailey, the Senior Education Associate.

What unique skills and/or experiences do you bring to your work as an intern at BPI?

I’ve worked with similar organizations in the past, and I’ve spent time in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood, so I know about the early education work being done there. I also know something about school policy because my mother is a vice principal of a charter school and my father works in public policy.

How do your views align with a place like BPI?

I’d like to dedicate my life to making a positive change. I want to know that I did something well and that I changed the world in some way. I always liked law and government, and I want to work on political campaigns. I’m volunteering on the Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign right now.

What does social justice look like for you?

I like being a person who leads by example. I go to school in central Indiana, and my friends and I get into a lot of political arguments. I’ve actually been able to change their views about a lot of social justice issues­— even issues I didn’t know about until I came to Indiana. I think that just spreading knowledge is social justice, even if it’s not working in communities hands-on. It’s changing the way other people think.

What are your professional goals in your justice work?

I haven’t made any career decisions yet. I might like to work in government on the state level. I’d be interested in being a congressional aid. I know I could make a great impact if I worked in the Department of Education or the Department of Labor. I’m doing my senior thesis on the history of unionization and radical syndicalism in the United States. Down the road I may want to get into labor policy.

What is one big lesson that you took away from working at  BPI?

While interning for BPI, I’ve learned a lot about education policy, bureaucracy, and the importance of community engagement. One lesson in particular sticks out: asking questions will always do more good than harm.