Dr. Anita Chandra, Part II

High School, School Newspapers, and a Pivot Away from Medicine
BW: High school experiences often play a big role in career decisions. Was there something you did in high school—or something that happened then—that pushed you toward a career in policy and research?
AC: Yes. I’ve always said that if I weren’t doing what I do now—working on children’s issues, health, resilience, and so on—I would probably be a journalist.
In high school, I was editor of the school paper, and I loved it. I liked asking questions, learning about communities and different populations. I also did Model UN and, briefly, debate until our debate team fell apart.
I grew up in a fairly politically active household. My father was a mathematician, and both my parents were in STEM fields, and some of my siblings also went into math and science. But our upbringing was very liberal arts–oriented. Reading was important. Talking about politics and policy was normal.
So even though, for a long time, I thought I was going to be a physician—specifically a pediatrician—I was always more interested in the systems, structures, and policies behind why we do what we do as a society.
I started my career in direct service, working with kids with special health care needs. But at the end of college, I made a big pivot away from medicine. Looking back, it was really a return to what my high school and childhood had primed me for: being more interested in changing policy than in providing individual care.
I wanted to ask, “Why do we keep doing the same things over and over, even when they don’t work?” Rather than continuing to operate in those systems, I wanted to help change them—health policy, social policy, and so on.
I was always interested in political science, in traveling, and in how politics intersected with health and social issues. All of that combined to push me toward policy research.

Why Debate, Conflict, and Critical Thinking Matter
AC: The more distance I get from it, the more I think that school paper experience was critical.
I grew up in North Carolina. It was—and is—a place of contradictions. I went to a school where the Confederate flag was still present, yet we read Toni Morrison and Maus—books that are now being banned in parts of North Carolina.
My school was a lesson in contradiction. We talked about those contradictions. You could see the lingering impacts of Jim Crow in the community, but we didn’t shy away from hard conversations.
One of my worries today is that a lot of students aren’t getting enough of that kind of conflict in a productive sense. On some college campuses, we’re seeing more shouting and less healthy debate.
So I always tell students: some form of debate experience is incredibly valuable—Model UN, debate club, even debating in another language in your French or Spanish club. The ability to think critically, to argue from a counterfactual or a counter-narrative, is essential.
It’s not just for policy careers. It’s how you navigate leadership roles later in life. It helps you handle conflict, and we desperately need people skilled in civil discourse and conflict resolution.

Practical Steps: What Students Can Do Right Now
BW: For my last question—and I touched on this briefly when we met last month—what can high school students do now if they want to explore a career similar to yours?
AC: I would say: get into it, even in small ways.
We often bemoan the lack of civics or policy exposure. So start there. Read widely. You mentioned The Economist—that’s one option. But build a diverse, interesting reading list: policy analysis, international news, social issues. That’s something you can start tomorrow.
In terms of experiences, certain opportunities can give you relevant exposure:

• Working on a political campaign (even though RAND itself is nonpartisan, that skill set is useful).
• Doing an internship in government—local, state, or federal.
• Working or volunteering with an NGO or advocacy organization that focuses on an issue you care about.

I worked at the Children’s Defense Fund, a major national advocacy organization. I don’t do advocacy anymore, but understanding how advocates think on Capitol Hill is very useful if you later become a researcher or policy analyst. You learn how they write policy briefs, how they meet with congressional aides, and how they frame arguments.
Some people will go on to become legislative aides right after college. That’s one path. But even if that’s not available to you right away, there are many ways to get exposure to policy work.
You absolutely want strong academic training in college. But you also need experiences outside the classroom: working in organizations that care about specific policy issues and seeing how they think about those issues—whether it’s gun policy, Middle East policy, climate, health, or something else.
There are internships out there, sometimes even for high school students, and certainly once you’re in college. Seek out those opportunities if you can.

BW: Thank you, Dr. Chandra. This has been extremely informative, and I’m sure it will be very insightful for many people looking to pursue similar career paths.
AC: You’re very welcome. I’m glad you’re asking these questions and thinking about this so early.