Forking Off

Stacey Young Connects Us All

Stacey Young spent over 18 years at the Justice Department as an attorney; first in the Civil Division for 13 years, then in the Civil Rights Division for 5 more. Having

Danielle Carnes Decries the Ugly American

Growing up in a small town in rural Northern California, Danielle Carnes longed to travel the world and make it a better place. She remembers visiting her grandma's house

Jeffrey Sizemore Embarks on the Third Act

Jeffrey Sizemore spent over two decades serving the United States, first as a U.S. Navy Surface Warfare Officer and later as a civil servant at the State Department. As

Michael Duffin Advocates for Feds

Michael Duffin served as a senior policy advisor at the State Department's Bureau of Counterterrorism for 12 years. When he received an invite for a 15-minute meeting tit

Elizabeth Ginexi Defends Science

Elizabeth Ginexi served as a scientific program official at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 22 years. During that time, she stewarded taxpayer investments in

Alec Chapa Builds Community

Alec Chapa found his ideal role as a conciliator with DOJ's Community Relations Service (CRS). From a young age, Alec was interested in bringing people together to talk t

Dan Tully Talks Elections

Dan Tully left the U.S. Department of Commerce in protest of the administration's destructive foreign policy approach. Dan's background as a Judge Advocate in the Army Re

Allan Dinkoff Bears Witness

Allan Dinkoff didn't plan to bear witness to the destruction of the civil service when he enrolled in the International Center of Photography's documentary photography pr

Wake the Fork Up

What the fork!? It's only been a year? This feels more like a post-mortem on the American Experiment than a year-end review. Yes, we're celebrating the fact that we survi

Philip Fields Sifts Through the Wreckage

The decay didn’t start with the election. The realization the Bureau was too fragile to survive started in the quiet, persistent failures of earlier years. By Election Da

Jill Fields Follows Her Moral Compass

Growing up, I never considered working for the FBI. To me, the FBI was just special agents kicking in doors, arresting violent criminals, and putting themselves in harm's

Kayla Staph Stays True to Herself

Kayla Staph grew up in a house built on a foundation of loving other others without partiality or discrimination. She comes from a legacy of service, so naturally, she en

Mike Romano Represents the Best of Us

Mike Romano spent nearly 18 years as an attorney with the Department of Justice (DOJ). He loved his job and thought it would be his forever job. On January 20, 2025, he w

Nikki Rutman Believes in Unicorns

Nikki Rutman thought for sure she'd be a doctor, then she discovered her passion for intelligence. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Nikki's path shi

Madeline Vellturo Teaches Resilience through Storytelling

Madeline Vellturo spent the last decade working on violence prevention, peacebuilding, and stability. Between April and July, the State Department eliminated the entire C

Ali Syverson Paints the Unraveling

Ali Syverson never considered working for USAID before she applied for a position in climate and environmental communication, but after spending the first half of her car

Sarah Ellison Hernandez Sounds the Alarm

Sarah Ellison Hernandez's dream was to become a judge. In 2018, Sarah's dream was realized when she was appointed as an immigration judge. It was the highlight of her car

Andrew Kreider is Cutting Through the Noise

Andrew Kreider is a 10th-generation Pennsylvanian and first-generation college graduate. As a high schooler in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, he wanted to help save the plan

Molly Kocialski Makes it Make Sense

When Molly Kocialski became the Director of the Rocky Mountain Regional US Patent and Trademark Office, she traded the wealth of 20 years of private practice for the stab

Dr. Sarah DeGue Creates a New Path

While finishing her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, Dr. Sarah DeGue thought she would go into research and maybe private practice. Instead, Sarah was called to public servi