Lessons in Leadership: Divya Ranganathan Reflects on Her Internship at the Presidential Precinct
This summer held many firsts for the Presidential Precinct. The newly launched Global Democracy Fellowship, as the successor of the esteemed Mandela Washington Fellowship, had big shoes to fill. Conversely, as the Precinct’s very first Communications Intern, I started on a blank slate. “Beginnings” look different in both cases, and suddenly, two things can be true at once.
On the very first day of the fellowship, I met fellows from 20 different countries — 20 unique perspectives of leadership. They came with open minds and open hearts, ready to connect over a shared goal of bringing change to their communities. The hope that filled the room was tangible and inspiring. As the World Cup played in the background, I watched leaders, diplomats, and changemakers from various backgrounds come together, unaware of the lessons they’d take home and friendships they’d make. I, too, was unaware that this was my fate.
The Lessons We Learned
Throughout the next six weeks, I learned that good leadership went beyond actions and big moments. Leadership shines brightest in little instances, through conversation and knowledge sharing. During downtime, fellows gathered for meals and sat in circles in the common room dissecting the day’s sessions, investigating new interpretations. In discussions, a leader was not someone who took over conversations, but someone who facilitated them. Day after day, I watched as fellows let their strengths come to the surface, loud and confident, in one session, then sit back and learn with an open mind in the next. Leaders who don’t hesitate to ask questions prove to be the best at answering them.
The fellows came to Virginia to learn, but they taught just as much. With excitement, fellows shared pieces of their lives from back home: stories from college, photos of their pets, and yearning for their favorite dish from their country. On the 4th of July, as they immersed themselves in the fireworks and patriotism of America’s 250th, the fellows connected over their own grand celebrations from home. Every so often, a message in the WhatsApp group urged everyone to grab a souvenir or gift that a fellow brought from home; from paper cranes to friendship bracelets to keychains, fellows shared not only their cultures, but their love, for others to take home in remembrance. Food also proved to be a means of unity and sharing cultures, for pepperpots and curries and candies were frequently shared among fellows as well. Through various modes, this dispersion of cultures taught me infinite lessons and details about communities outside of my own, and I developed a unique appreciation for the cultures that shaped such impassioned people.
The People That Made The Place
Twenty different people means 20 different perspectives. Their visions for the world gleamed like sunlight and followed every step they took through the fellowship. Though they shared the same changemaking ambitions, their backgrounds differed. Some held government positions, both within their home countries and outside of them. Artivists and media practitioners brought a modern outlook to discussions, yet could always count on tradition. Outside of work environments, fellows engaged in all sorts of hobbies. Swimming, poetry, photography, origami: these small arts contribute to our characters just as much as our biggest accomplishments. The fellows taught me that no matter your background, your specialization, or your origin story, talents are revealed in various sectors, and your many skills are useful in more places than one.
I saw good leadership in a variety of manifestations, well before the fellows arrived. Along with my experience during the fellowship, attending daily sessions and bonding with fellows outside of scheduled programming, I learned about the inner workings of a nonprofit organization — the minutiae of every program, the promotional details woven into each event, and the passion that drives each and every person involved. Precinct team members were leaders in their own right: from event planning to interviews, each member spearheaded their own projects and left their mark on the fellowship, an ode to the heart and dedication that signifies a good leader.
Divya (far left) with the Presidential Precinct’s 2026 Global Democracy Fellows and Program Officer Lissa Morinsky (far right, middle row) at the University of Virginia
Our Legacies
Twenty fellows from 20 countries came to Charlottesville anticipating six weeks of leadership development and went home with friendships, memories, and a string of hope connecting them across the globe. Now and forever, they will look back on the summer of 2026 and the fellowship that characterized it. They will reflect on the advice they received and experience they gained, but they will also remember a time when they were all together, singing karaoke or playing card games, growing not only as leaders, but as people.
Like new beginnings, leadership taught me that two things can be true at the same time. Leadership is powerful, but it is also soft. It’s loud in large conventions and quiet in gentle lessons. It’s structured and analytic, yet organic and natural.
Over the course of the summer, I got to discover what good, passionate, humble leadership looks like alongside the fellows, both in and out of the classroom. I leave content, knowing that around the world, there are 20 hearts I’ve left my mark on, and 20 souls who have marked mine in return.
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