1. [CLASS OF 1964 PUBLIC AFFAIRS INTERNSHIP FUND
PUBLIC POLICY INTERN PROFILE]
Brandon DeBot is a junior at Dartmouth College. He was
born and raised in Stevens Point, WI and graduated from iQ
Academy High School as Valedictorian, National AP Scholar,
and Presidential Scholar Semi-Finalist. At Dartmouth, DeBot
is pursuing a major in Government with a minor in Public
Policy. He is a recipient of the Andrew Warden Edson
Memorial Prize for Excellence in American Government.
DeBot competes on the Dartmouth Men’s Varsity Tennis
Team in singles and doubles, and received the J. Clarence
Davies Award for Sportsmanship in 2011. DeBot is a student
researcher in the Policy Research Shop and works as a
Research Assistant in the Government Department. He also
worked as Student Program Assistant at the Rockefeller Center his sophomore year. Last
summer DeBot participated in the First Year Fellows Program, interning at The Charles Group,
LLC, in Washington, DC. He hopes to pursue a career in policy or law after graduation.
Brandon was funded by the Rockefeller Center for a Fall 2012 Internship, with generous support
from the Class of 1964 Public Affairs Internship Fund.
Executive Summary from Brandon’s final report:
This Fall 2012 term, I interned with the White House National Economic Council (NEC) working
directly under a Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy. As an intern, I took on
significant responsibilities and worked in various domestic
My experience at the NEC and international policy areas. I drafted detailed
definitely shaped my future information notes and memoranda on economic policy
academic and professional issues including the fiscal cliff, alternative federal budget
interests because it affirmed proposals, tax reform, and entitlement programs. I also
my interest in economic created spreadsheets for in-depth analysis and forecasts of
policy and showed me what it budget windows, sequester cuts, the Federal debt ceiling,
is like to work at that level. and international economic commitments. As my supervisor
works for the U.S. representative to the G-8 and G-20, I
researched and compiled briefing materials for senior staff in preparation for these meetings.
Finally, I produced summaries, analyses, and presentations on international issues including the

2. potential impacts of devaluation on the Greek economy and the outlook for China’s commercial
aircraft market.
One of the best parts of my internship was the opportunity to interact with high-level staff in a
variety of forums. The White House internship program does an excellent job of ensuring that
interns receive the opportunity to meet the most influential actors in the White House. This
included events with the President, Vice President, First Lady, White House Chief of Staff, and
Director of Legislative Affairs. These events were typically question-and-answer sessions and
gave the interns an incredible opportunity to learn from these top policymakers in a relaxed
and candid setting. Equally rewarding, however, was the opportunity to meet with staff
members within the NEC. Through work-related meetings and internship-organized events, I
met with every senior member of the NEC and was able to glean key lessons from them.
My experience at the NEC definitely shaped my future academic and professional interests
because it affirmed my interest in economic policy and showed me what it is like to work at
that level. I learned a lot about the policy process as well as how to operate in such a high-
intensity environment and conduct myself professionally. The demand for high-quality work
produced quickly taught me how to work even more efficiently and will continue to serve me
well in future academic and professional pursuits.
I am extremely thankful to the Rockefeller Center for providing me with this internship
opportunity through the Class of 1964 funding award. I would not have been able to pursue
this opportunity without this support, and it was definitely a formative and life-changing four
months. Thank you again!
Brandon DeBot ’14 in the Briefing Room at the White House during his
Fall 2012 internship at the National Economic Council.
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