Alumni Spotlight: Fares Akremi

In a new series made possible by current Kinder Institute undergraduate Elise Milburn, this is the first of what we hope are many spotlights on alumni of various KICD programs.

We recently had the opportunity to catch up with one of our exceptional alumni, Fares Akremi (BA ’15). Part of the first cohort of our Kinder Scholars DC Summer Program, Fares has remained active with a number of our undergraduate initiatives since he graduated. Read on for more about his own experience at the Kinder Institute and what he hopes future students will take away from their time on the fourth floor of Jesse.

For Fares, the Kinder Scholars DC Summer Program was the first time that he was in direct and continued contact with the people who help run our government. He spent his summer interning for then-Missouri Senator Claire McCaskill and describes her as friendly but intimidating, curious, and hardworking. In other words, she was just as human as the rest of her staff, and more familiar than Fares had expected, and he has relied on lessons like these from his time in DC throughout his academic and post-law school pursuits. His experiences at the Kinder Institute prepared him to interact comfortably with powerful people in the professional world, a skillset that he believes we can all benefit from.

Fares and his partner have always been involved in their community and have extended this spirit to institutions like the Kinder Institute. Fares currently serves on our Alumni Council, has guest lectured in the Kinder Scholars Program’s “Beltway History & Politics” course, and has helped out with our Constitutional Litigation class, including organizing a March visit to the Supreme Court for this year’s students. When asked about his involvement, Fares said, “There is such value in a program that empowers young people, irrespective of their financial means or connectedness, to go to the seat of power in our nation’s capital and to see that the people running the place really are just people—complicated, imperfect, and generally well-intentioned.” We are grateful to have the opportunity to stay connected with our Kinder alumni, and to have former students like Fares who are willing to generously share their learned experiences with our current students.