1. Adrian Ferrari is from Los Altos, California and attended
Sacred Heart Preparatory. In high school he was varsity
captain of the cross country and distance track teams, in
addition to graduating with a light blue ribbon, his school’s
highest award for overall achievement. Outside of school
Adrian was politically active, canvassing for local politicians
and the No on 8 Campaign. At Dartmouth, Adrian is pursing a
major in Government with a minor in Public Policy. During
his last leave term, he interned for Judge John Mott ’81 as a
First Year Fellow. Currently, he serves as the co-chair to
Dartmouth’s Inter-Community Council and a Presidential
Scholar to Government Professor Deborah Brooks. After
graduating from Dartmouth, Adrian hopes to either attend graduate school or write for Jon
Stewart, whichever he feels will allow him to best participate in the political process.
Adrian was funded by the Rockefeller Center for a Winter 2013 Internship, with generous
support from the Class of 1964 Public Affairs Internship Fund.
Executive Summary from Adrian’s final report:
The Office of Public Engagement (OPE) is the division of the White House that is charged with
communicating with the public at large. OPE bills itself as “the front door to the White House”
where ordinary citizens and organizations that
represent broader communities can air their grievances
to the highest levels of government. To complete the
exchange, OPE spreads the President’s message to
these stakeholders. This process keeps the White House
up-to-date on the concerns of the American people and
helps mobilize them to pass his agenda. In this sense,
OPE is the wing of the executive branch that functions
most like a campaign. In more practical terms, OPE
holds a number of briefings, speaking events, and
panels. They also host a number of higher profile stakeholder meetings with the President and
Vice President, as well as more intimate roundtables with senior staff.
[CLASS OF 1964 PUBLIC AFFAIRS INTERNSHIP FUND
PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]
I treasured my time in DC as a
Rockefeller Center Class of 1964
Intern. The fast paced
environment left me frequently
needing to ad lib, but navigating
unsure waters taught me to be
confident in my decisions and
carry them out to the fullest.

2. My specific role in OPE was working with Gautam Raghavan, Associate Director for
Public Engagement, whose portfolio included the LGBT and the Asian American and Pacific
Islander (AAPI) communities. Day to day tasks included managing security clearance WAVES for
official guests, vetting community leaders that the White House wanted to recognize, compiling
press clips of LGBT and AAPI related events, taking notes at meetings and writing memos for
senior staff. Interning in OPE was unique from interning in White House offices because interns
are given many of the same responsibility as staffers. Interns are very involved in the whole
process, from conception of an idea for an event to the actual execution.
I treasured my time in DC as a Rockefeller Center Class of 1964 Intern. The fast paced
environment left me frequently needing to ad lib, but navigating unsure waters taught me to be
confident in my decisions and carry them out to the fullest. That skill, combined with the
practice of staying on message while engaging with guests of the White House, will help me as I
pursue a professional career in public service.
Adrian Ferrari ’14 (front row, far right) with Michelle Obama during his
Winter 2013 internship at the White House - Office of Public Engagement.
2