Explore public policy and political journalism careers during this session of Careers in Politics. Hear from alumni and professionals about their jobs and learn about ways to engage with the political process.

Panelists include:

Bailey Olderog ’14 graduated magna cum laude with a BA in Political Science and a minor in Studio Art. Throughout her time at Southwestern she focused her studies on foreign affairs and support for the military community. Upon graduating, she took a job in the Texas State Capitol doing policy work for the House Defense and Veteran Affairs Committee. She soon moved over the Senate Veteran Affairs and Border Security Committee, where she was the Committee Clerk and primary Policy Analyst. Her passion for military policy led her to work for the Texas National Guard as Office Manager and Policy Analyst for their Government Affairs Office. In 2018, she became the Technical Writer for the Command Leadership of the Texas National Guard. She is responsive to the requests of five General Officers, and is the author of speeches and messages from these commanders. In addition to her writing and researching duties in this position, Olderog assists on large-scale projects for the organization, is the primary point of contact for all inquiries from congressional and state legislative staff concerning members of the Texas National Guard, and provides strategic messaging for the Government Affairs and Public Affairs Offices.

Will Seilheimer ’05 analyzes and makes recommendations on health and human services appropriations for the Texas House of Representatives Appropriations Committee. He holds a bachelor of arts from Southwestern University in history and international studies and a masters of public policy from Duke University. At Southwestern he was a member of Alpha Phi Omega, Phi Alpha Theta, and Pi Kappa Alpha. His first job in politics was working as a legislative aide for a House member for whom he interned as a senior at Southwestern. He has worked in public policy in a variety of capacities at both the state and federal level, including as a foreign policy fellow, management consultant, policy analyst, and budget analyst. 

Corrie MacLaggan is the Managing Editor of the Texas Tribune. Previously, the Austin native worked as a national correspondent for Reuters, writing and editing stories about Texas and nearby states and overseeing a network of freelance writers. Before joining Reuters, she covered Texas government and politics for the Austin American-Statesman, writing about everything from gubernatorial races to food stamp application backlogs. She spent her first year at the Statesman writing for the newspaper’s weekly Spanish-language publication. She has also worked in Mexico City, where she wrote for publications including the Miami Herald’s Mexico edition, Latin Trade magazine and the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Her first reporting job was at the El Paso Times. Corrie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and Spanish.

Dya Campos ’02 is the Director of Government and Public Affairs for HEB.Upon graduation with a History major from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Dya Campos joined Vinson & Elkins LLP as a Governmental Affairs consultant representing its attorneys and clients in the Texas legislature. In 2004, Ms. Campos was recruited to HillCo Partners, the top governmental affairs consulting firm in Texas, as the youngest lobbyist in the state at the time. After completing several successful legislative sessions, Campos was tapped by H-E-B to lead Public Affairs for the company’s San Antonio headquarters and the San Antonio/West Texas retail operations region. In her role at H-E-B, Dya oversees the charitable giving program, community affairs and serves as the director of media relations and spokesperson for the H-E-B headquarters.  Dya also leads the Governmental Affairs division and H-E-B’s legislative efforts at the Texas State Capitol. In 2015, Capitol Insider named Dya one of the top corporate governmental affairs influencer in Texas.  

Tamara Aronstein is a Policy Analyst and Staff Attorney for the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission. In this role, she evaluates state agencies and relevant policies and makes recommendations to the state legislature on how to draft legislation to improve these agencies. Aronstein has a B.A. in History from the New College of Florida and JD from Emory University School of Law. 

Southwestern University supports learning wherever it takes place. The Center for Career & Professional Development contributes to the Southwestern University Student Life MOSAIC initiative by providing advising, programming and resources to help students develop as a whole person. This event helps you to:

  • Make Meaning of the Academic Experience
  • Shape Your Professional Identity