Cynthia McCaffrey (LBJ Class of '95) is a seasoned traveler who has learned that flexibility is an important skill to have when stepping into a foreign culture. This fall, McCaffrey and 13 other White House Fellows chosen from around the country stepped into a unique culture that has evolved on native soil--the federal government in Washington, D.C.

McCaffrey is the first LBJ School graduate to participate in a prestigious apprenticeship program established by President Lyndon B. Johnson 30 years ago. The White House Fellowships program allows promising Americans to experience first-hand the workings of federal government while giving them an opportunity to contribute their own ideas to the discussion and resolution of national issues.

"There is a lot of criticism directed at the federal government these days," McCaffrey said. "This is only valid to a degree. It is easy to criticize; it is fashionable these days. In my short experience here, I have learned that you have to be creative--to learn to make things work where it looks like they won't work. If you are used to being in foreign situations, it makes it easier to be creative."

To get to Washington, McCaffrey had to go through a grueling application process that began in December 1994 with almost 1,000 applicants competing for 14 spots. After surviving the first cut, McCaffrey obtained LBJ School professional travel funds to attend a regional finalist interview in St. Louis. In June she headed to Annapolis, Maryland, where she joined the remaining 35 national finalists for final interviews conducted by members of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships.

"After you are selected you are sent to Washington for one week, where you are interviewed (by prospective departments and offices) and asked to rank your top choices," McCaffrey said.

At the U.S. Agency for International Development--where she is appointed for one year--McCaffrey is a special assistant to the Deputy Administrator and works with different USAID bureaus. In October she participated in a project for the Latin American bureau, which is evaluating the status of democratic initiatives in Bolivia. As part of the assignment, McCaffrey accompanied three other USAID staff members on a two-week trip to La Paz and met with the country's acting president, legislative and community leaders, and representatives of a number of nongovernmental organizations. According to McCaffrey, the USAID team gathered insights from individuals to obtain their assessments of 13 years of democracy.

"I think that democracy is working," commented McCaffrey. "I think that Bolivia has a very promising future and that the legislature is starting to get a better handle on how to legislate rather than to simply rubber stamp the executive branch's initiatives." Unfortunately, she added, the success of decentralization and other major reforms that are taking place in rural areas will depend largely on the individual authorities that will assume power in each area.

In addition to the experience the White House Fellows obtain through their individual work assignments, they also meet informally with experts in and outside the realm of federal government. So far, this year's group has met with U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, former White House Counsel Abner Mikva, Office of Management and Budget Director Alice Rivlin, Washington Mayor Marion Barry, NBC Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw, and Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz.

McCaffrey began her work in international development while studying at Vanderbilt University. After earning her bachelor's degree in Latin American studies, she worked as a logistics coordinator for the New York-based International Rescue Committee's overseas program.

McCaffrey has also worked with micro-enterprising, nongovernmental organizations in Brazil and has held various positions in Malawi, Africa. In Africa, where she worked from 1990 until 1993, she was a district coordinator and a nutrition development coordinator for the International Rescue Committee. In 1994, while enrolled at the LBJ School, she returned to Malawi and worked as a summer intern with the U.S. State Department's refugee affairs division.

What is next for McCaffrey? "The idea behind the White House Fellowship program is to place fellows in situations where they can gain experience and then let them take those ideas back to their communities," she remarked. "I would like to use what I have learned to improve how the international community delivers humanitarian relief. Refugees are among the most vulnerable people in the world and truly need qualified people to advocate for their needs. I hope that this year will give me some tools with which to better assist the world's 23 million displaced."