While many students enter college frantically searching for their professional purpose, Angel Ortiz (C ’25) has always had a clear vision of the work he hoped to accomplish. From a young age, he harbored an ardent interest in ancient history, but the 2020 election marked a turning point in his career trajectory. Recognizing the power of politics to tangibly impact the lives of those around him, he’s dedicated his time at Penn to cultivating a passion for civic engagement and political advocacy.
Though he attributes his political awakening to the 2020 election, his initial interest in politics can be traced back to an unconventional childhood shaped by movement and multiculturalism. Born in Puerto Rico, Angel grew up in San Juan, but he spent his early years traveling the globe with his mother, a performer in a touring magic show. He recalls how his exposure to diverse perspectives and engagement in cross–cultural dialogue sparked a lasting curiosity about the ways in which political systems influence international communities.
On one fateful trip to Philadelphia as a child, he visited Penn’s campus with his family, keeping the memory tucked away until it came time to apply for college. As a first-generation college student, Angel was drawn to Penn’s strong financial aid program and extensive student support networks. He also jokes that the University’s academic prestige was a salient factor in his decision to attend. “Honestly, at that age, I saw the Ivy League logo and was like, sure, why not? That doesn’t hurt.”
Since his freshman year, Angel has been pursuing a double major in history and political science with a minor in legal studies. Despite describing his life on campus as a “washed up senior vibe,” his resume reflects a different story: He’s a senior balancing his coursework with roles in the SNF Paideia Fellows program, the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, and an ongoing internship with the office of United States Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) in Philadelphia.
As an intern, he assists with community outreach across West Philly and works to build connections with vulnerable populations. “We talk to Latino and immigrant organizations where people are terrified of leaving their houses,” Angel says. “They’re afraid they’re going to be deported, so the work we’re doing is very impactful. It’s very charged.”
In addition to fieldwork, he also helps people navigate issues with federal agencies and perform administrative tasks. His internship has reinforced his commitment to pursuing a career in government. “It’s convinced me that this is the type of job that I want full time, and it’s been great to work with a really amazing team,” Angel says. “I’m very grateful for them and that experience.”
Beyond creating a local impact across Philly communities, Angel also had the opportunity to gain invaluable experience through the Penn in Washington program. While his peers were flocking to Europe in hopes of fulfilling romanticized fantasies of studying abroad, he decided to immerse himself in the heart of Washington where he could enact purposeful change. During his junior spring, the program allowed him to take courses in the city, conduct policy research, network with Penn alumni, and intern full time for the Department of State. He extended his stay into the summer to intern with then-Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa).
Through his hands–on experience, he was able to forge lasting relationships with his cohort and gain his first glimpse of what a career in government work would entail.
“It was a lot of professional growth and experience. I hadn’t ever had a federal internship before, so it was eye–opening and confirmed that government work is something that I really love to do,” he says. “I met a lot of people that I’m still in touch with, and it’s been good to stay in touch with them given everything that’s happening now.”
Although he had hoped that all of his intensive academic training would culminate in working a full–time position on “the Hill,” Donald Trump’s mass firings of federal workers have forced Angel to reconsider the feasibility of his post–grad plans.
“I was looking a lot more seriously at applying for federal agencies after graduation up until the Trump administration started. But ever since he won the election, I had always had the feeling that things were about to change,” Angel says. “I loved working at the State Department, so I was considering roles there as well as other organizations like USAID, the Wilson Center—basically every agency that’s gotten defunded.”
Even though a job on the Hill remains his ideal post–graduate pathway, Angel has become increasingly concerned about the feasibility of obtaining a job amidst the job market’s amplified competitiveness.
“Right now [Congress] is one of the very few places that is left where the people that are committed to this type of work can still exist without being threatened. … The side effect of all of these firings and shuttering of so many agencies has been to make D.C. very hostile and extremely competitive, as if it wasn’t enough already, which has not made my life any easier and has definitely thrown a wrench in the works.”
He describes how Hill hiring is “random” in the sense that it is entirely dependent upon when a position opens up. Because the field is constantly fluctuating, students do not have the privilege of having an offer extended to them the summer before graduation, meaning that they have to balance their commitment to public service with a lack of job security.
The tenuous nature of federal job security has only been exacerbated by the current political climate. Since Trump’s inauguration in January, tens of thousands of government employees have been forced out of their positions under the Department of Government Efficiency’s mass layoffs.
“If you were a federal employee, that [used to be] considered not only an honorable job but a very stable one. It was one where you had the chance to really be a changemaker, but now you have people that have been working in places for 35 years that have never had any cause for complaint in terms of their performance at work, being fired. … It’s just scary.”
As federal workers continue to be targeted, he has found himself forced to consider alternative avenues of employment that diverge from the path that he had initially envisioned.
“Maybe I’ll go to New York. Maybe I’ll take a summer off and just apply to law school and do that. There’s definitely ways for me to achieve [my goal]. There’s private think tanks or there’s lobbying firms. But it’s hard, because the thing that I had put my energy and connections towards is a lot harder to achieve and basically under constant attack nowadays.”
Angel’s story reflects a broader phenomenon among students nationwide, many of whom are watching their meticulously cultivated career plans unravel under mounting political volatility and institutional instability.
Although it’s difficult to remain resilient amidst ceaseless political turmoil, Angel hopes that students, such as himself, who are genuinely passionate about using federal work as a vehicle for justice will not be deterred by the field’s instability.
“Regardless of what you’re going to go into, what your major is, or what you want your life to be like after you’re done with Penn, don’t get disengaged with politics and public service because that is something that is going to affect everyone: your life, the life of your friends, the life of your family, and everyone that you care about,” he says. “We live in such a charged time, but this is not the moment to be backing down and cowering in fear, and it is not the moment to be inactive.”
