Our most recent Success Story with Neetu Arnold, a Young Voices Social Mobility Fellow who was recently hired to be a Paulson Policy Analyst for the Manhattan Institute.
Neetu Arnold's Success Story Interview:
You've worked for the National Association of Scholars as a research fellow and now going to be a Paulson Policy Analyst at the Manhattan Institute, focusing on problems within higher education. What drew your attention towards higher education?
Being a college student at Cornell University during the 2016 election gave me first-hand experience with higher ed’s intolerance toward views outside the progressive orthodoxy—from shutting down classes when the results of the election didn’t go as hoped for; to one-sided statements on political issues from university leadership; to bias response teams to monitor wrongthink by professors and students.
I felt that many people didn’t quite grasp how bad things had gotten at our elite universities. Not only that, but I knew what was happening at the universities would eventually reach all of our most influential institutions—the progressive activist messages that permeated classrooms were shaping the next generation of journalists, policymakers, and teachers. Writing became my outlet to show how far gone our universities had become.
What topic do you think is the least talked about within mainstream media that deserves more attention?
The mainstream media doesn’t sufficiently question “equity-based” policies. At best, some reporters may mistakenly think equity means fairness in some colloquial sense. At worst, journalists are aware that the modern notion of equity means reallocating resources and opportunities based on class and race, and don’t question it because they are blinded by their own biases. Equity-based policies are discriminatory and they damage our country’s ability to be competitive with the rest of the world. The lack of good reporting on this topic means Americans are left in the dark as governments, corporations, and schools adopt harmful policies.
For example, earlier this year, I learned about a plan that would distribute state funds to Illinois universities based on the racial makeup of their student body. This plan was proposed by the Illinois Commission on Equitable Public University Funding in a 90-page report. It wasn’t as if I was the first to write about this proposal, but nobody in mainstream news outlets seemed to notice what was wrong with this scheme. With the help of Young Voices, I was able to show how this plan would violate civil rights law in an article with The Wall Street Journal. The article reached a large audience; even Elon Musk commented that what Illinois lawmakers had proposed was “messed up.”
The work has only started—Illinois lawmakers have turned the idea into a bill that will be deliberated this upcoming spring. But hopefully my reporting, along with the work of other opponents of this bill, will play some part in the ensuing debate.
With some of the recent problems with plagiarism and campus protests happening within universities, do you think there's much that can be done to improve higher education?
There are a ton of opportunities to improve higher education. Particularly after the Congressional hearings surrounding elite universities’ responses to the October 7 attacks on Israel, the public saw how morally bankrupt and hypocritical our academic institutions had become. The icing on top was watching elite university presidents leave their posts due to the immense scrutiny. It showed that high-quality reporting, public awareness, and accountability are feasible ways to improve higher education. Already, schools are delineating better policies on institutional neutrality and punishment for unlawful protests.
There are still many other issues in higher ed— college affordability, DEI, foreign influence. That’s why journalism and policy analysis in this area will continue to be important.
How has working with Young Voices helped you as a writer and commentator?
When I joined Young Voices, I already had some experience writing and pitching articles. The Young Voices team helped me refine those skills. But what I valued the most was the consistent media appearances the Young Voices team would help me book on the back of my articles. This is an important aspect of the organization because it can be hard to break into the media when you’re young and inexperienced.
I have long struggled with anxiety around public speaking. Getting a media interview should be a positive testament to the work and research that takes place when writing articles. But the experience can quickly become unenjoyable when anxiety gets in the way.
Consistent practice is helping me learn to manage those emotions. For successful interviews, it shows me that I have the capability to do well. And for the interviews that don’t go the way I hope, it shows me that things are still okay and I can work to do better next time. The Young Voices team has been very supportive of me as I’ve worked to become a better speaker and guest on media appearances.
Which media placement that the Young Voices content team helped you place are you most proud of?
Earlier this year, I wrote a piece for Newsweek on how the Biden administration needed to give up on student loan forgiveness to focus on more pressing issues, like making sure students could access federal student aid. This piece alone led to a wave of media interview placements from Young Voices. My personal favorite interview was with The Blaze.
How has Young Voices impacted your career trajectory?
Young Voices offers many kinds of professional growth opportunities. Last year, I was grateful to be a part of the Social Mobility Fellowship. I was able to refine my reporting skills both by receiving feedback from other fellows and from editors at external outlets. The projects in this fellowship were challenging. But I’m very happy with the articles that I produced, and I’ve been able to use them in my writing portfolio when applying to further opportunities. I believe that the combination of having a broad set of media appearances and a solid writing portfolio, both of which Young Voices was instrumental in developing, have led to successful job applications in my field—including my current job.
Having recently started at the Manhattan Institute, what advice would you give to young professionals aspiring to build a career in public policy?
Consistently show up. Every article you write is an opportunity for someone to notice your work. Every media interview you do is an opportunity to get better for the next one. It’s easy to gain confidence when you can look back and notice all the progress you’ve made, even if it’s hard to tell in the moment.
Support Young Voices' work empowering rising leaders for liberty like Neetu!
