A Reflection of My Time as a Summer Fellow at the Hudson Institute of Political Studies
There are places that make you think—and then there are places that refuse to let you think the same way ever again. The Hudson Institute of Political Studies belongs firmly to the latter. What I expected to be a prestigious seminar series turned out to be something closer to a controlled intellectual detonation.
We began in the texts—old ones, foundational ones. Plato, Machiavelli, Lincoln, Publius. These authors became sparring partners. Their questions about justice, power, freedom, virtue became our questions, both in a “let’s discuss over coffee” kind of way, and in the sense of genuine existential interrogation. Why do laws bind? What is liberty worth? Can a soul be ruled wisely?
No answer was accepted at face value. Not once. Mrs. Rachel Mackey and her cohort of teaching assitants had the rare ability to dismantle your argument without dismantling your spirit. They taught relentlessly, precisely, and with the utmost care. In that atmosphere, my writing changed. My way of speaking changed. My thinking became leaner, more disciplined, more dangerous – in the best sense of the word.
But Hudson is a place where ideas are not confined to the page but enacted through simulations, strategic wargames, staff rides across the hallowed battlefields of Gettysburg, and conversations that stretched long past midnight. Theoretical debates about statesmanship didn’t stay theoretical for long – especially not when you’re standing in Gettysburg, listening to your classmates recite the words of those who died there, or when you're asked to defend a national security strategy in front of a mock NSC.
In one simulation, I found myself navigating diplomacy as the Press Secretary of South Korea, parsing trade policy and strategic alliances under pressure. In another, I was rewriting legal precedent in a mock Supreme Court case. There was no room for abstraction detached from reality. The entire experience demanded synthesis between history and policy, ethics and action.
What truly stunned me, though, was the community. Imagine walking into a room full of people who not only have opinions on the nature of the good life, but are eager to stay up until 2 a.m. arguing about it. People who can transition from Clausewitz to Shakespeare to criminal justice reform without once sounding forced. People who make you better just by how earnestly they’re trying to get at the truth. That was the real treasure of the summer – not just the knowledge gained, but the friendships formed in its pursuit.
And the mentors and alumni – wow, I could just rave about these lovely people forever. These were people who took us seriously, who gave generously of their time, their intellect, and their encouragement. My own mentor modeled the kind of integrity and public purpose I hope to carry with me forever. If you ever want to see what real civic education looks like, look no further than the Hudson Institute.
When the program ended, we didn’t graduate so much as scatter like seeds. Each of us left with a mission. And while we returned to different campuses, different cities, and different callings, we share the same conviction: that politics is a pursuit. That leadership begins with character. And those ideas can still shape the world.
The lessons learned and friendships forged will extend far beyond the bounds of this summer, guiding my intellectual pursuits and personal convictions for decades to come. Indeed, my graduation as a Fellow does not signify an ending but rather the beginning of a lifelong journey dedicated to exploring and defending the profound ideals at the heart of political life. Thank you to Mrs. Rachel Mackey and the entire Hudson Institute Team. Their work has, and will forever change lives.
Xoxo,
Annie
