Young Americans Also Disappointed About Civil Service Recruitment

Sydney Smith's (28) dream of working as a civil servant in a federal government office was dashed. Her scholarship from the Presidential Management Fellows program was terminated by the administration of United States President Donald Trump.

Institutions that accept probationary employees are being asked to lay off hundreds of thousands of workers. That includes the latest class of presidential scholarship recipients who were on two-year probation, like Smith.

In fact, the scholarship recipients managed to pass a rigorous selection process with various tests and face-to-face interviews. The Presidential Management Fellows website states that usually only 10 percent of applicants are accepted and recently only three percent.

For decades, the program, which began in 1978, has been considered a foundation for anyone who might one day become a leader in the federal government. It was designed to attract highly qualified workers with advanced degrees.

Now, Smith's future is uncertain. Hundreds of scholarship recipients have been laid off or placed on leave. Smith wants to be a civil servant because he has ideas for making government more efficient.

It's crazy to receive a letter of notice of dismissal when everyone says our performance is outstanding.

Smith studied chemistry at Willamette University in Oregon and then went on to study accounting at George Washington University. After being named a finalist for the 2023 presidential scholarship, Smith began working as an accountant for the U.S. Forest Service.

After the scholarship was terminated, Smith is now focused on preparing for the Certified Public Accountant Exam held by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The goal is to better qualify him to work as a federal civil servant.

"I hope to work in government in the future. I don't know when and how but I hope there is still that opportunity for me," he said.

Just like Smith, McKenzie Hartman (26) also dreamed of working as a civil servant since high school. But his dream of becoming an economist for the research division at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the US federal government agency that collects taxes and sets domestic revenue laws, in Ogden, Utah, was shattered.

Hartman received an email on February 19, 2025, stating that he was being terminated. He could no longer access his office's video conferencing software.

He also couldn't attend the farewell party at the office with his friends. His official letter of termination was only received a week later.

"It feels surreal. It's crazy to get a letter of resignation when everyone says we've done great," he said.

After being laid off, Hartman applied for another job. He actually still wanted to work in a government office. However, after being rejected, his enthusiasm was gone.

Charles Conyers, who once worked at the Office of Personnel Management, said he was saddened and confused by the government’s elimination of a program that brought America’s brightest minds into government. Trump’s decision to end the fellowship program was tragic because it was a program that attracted and prepared America’s future leaders.

Smith, Hartman and Conyers said they loved their jobs and saw federal civil service as a way to serve their country. Given the chance to go back to work and use their skills, they would.

The Trump administration is regrettable for crushing the dreams of talented people so easily. It will be difficult to rebuild morale and trust in government. “I worry that very talented people will go elsewhere and there will be a tremendous brain drain. America will lose a lot,” Conyers said.

Just about to buy their first home, Bianca Nelson (31) and her partner were forced to bury their dream of owning their dream apartment. Nelson works at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

On February 14, 2025 he received an email stating he was being dismissed effective immediately. Now, they have to depend entirely on savings to survive. Nelson felt this fact was very painful.

A few days later, he took all his belongings from his office desk, including the bell he was given at the groundbreaking ceremony for the New York City Housing Authority. It was a memento that represented his love for his work.

Since being laid off, he has spent his days filing for unemployment benefits and insurance. He has been keeping himself busy by volunteering at the union.

The union has held job fairs for other federal workers who have been laid off in the area, among other things. Nelson also volunteers with a housing advocacy organization. For Nelson, shutting down the presidential scholarship program is like shutting off a pathway to future leadership.

Madeleine Parker (32) received the scholarship in September 2023, one month after completing her doctorate in urban and regional planning at the University of California, Berkeley.

Parker chose to work in housing because it was important to provide stability for families. He had hoped to continue working for the federal government but was unable to. Now, he is trying to strategize what to do next.

Juliane Alfen (25) also left her workplace at the US Agency for International Development in tears. She left her workplace accompanied by cheers from supporters who protested her sudden dismissal.

Alfen received a scholarship from the program in 2023 and has been focused solely on building his life and career specifically for federal service. Alfen learned about the scholarship from his graduate program in International Relations at the University of California, San Diego, USA.

The day she found out she was a finalist, she said, “I literally screamed and called my mom.”

There were over 10,000 applicants and he managed to beat them all. Now, when he looks at his LinkedIn account, everyone is looking for a job.

Alfen said he would love the chance to return to USAID, but he acknowledged the prospects are uncertain given that the Trump administration has cut the agency through its adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency and cut its humanitarian work.

"In fact, by working at USAID, I feel we can make a difference," Alfen said. (AP)