State Representative Tackey Chan '95 returned to Brandeis last Thursday to speak about his experiences in public service at the third-annual Government Careers Forum and Networking Night hosted by the Hiatt Career Center and held in the Hassenfeld Conference Center.

Chan's speech encapsulated the theme of the Government Careers Forum, which had 25 agencies attending, including the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service, the Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General and the Peace Corps.

Chan focused his speech around "how to get from point A to point B by going through point Z." He used his own career as an example, recounting how he began by working for State Senator Michael W. Morrissey and was recently elected as state representative in Quincy, Mass. He also stated that one of his goals is to become the junior senator for Massachusetts.

Throughout his address, Chan remarked on his attraction to politics and public service despite pressures to go into the rapidly growing computer science field.

"I was always intrigued by politics because it's about people," said Chan.

He said that public service gave him a great deal of satisfaction, knowing that he had influenced other individuals. With self-deprecating humor, Chan reiterated that public service does not pay well, claiming to have "made no more than $30,000" per year in the past, yet still affirmed that is well worth the sacrifice.

Chan worked as general counsel and legislative director for Morrissey from 1995 to 2007 after graduating from Brandeis. He then served as an assistant attorney general in Attorney General Martha Coakley's Office of Ratepayer Advocacy from 2007 to 2010. He obtained his juris doctorate from the New England School of Law in 2003.

On a more relatable level, Chan told the audience that he worked at the Hiatt Career Center and the Goldfarb Library as an undergraduate at Brandeis.

In discussion of his recent election to the state legislature, Chan commented on recognizing an opportunity when it presents itself.

"There's always going to be opportunity out there, but are you smart enough to recognize what it is? And are you smart enough to take it or pass it by?" he said.

Chan's opportunity arose after the former state senator retired, leaving an opening.

Despite nearly 15 years of public service experience, Chan cited several obstacles to his campaign, namely being an Asian-American democrat. First, he was running against an Irish Catholic in a district with only a 20-percent Asian population. Also, the Republican Party made some major gains in 2010, especially with the election of Scott Brown as U.S. Senator for Massachusetts.

Chan humorously described his campaign strategy as knocking on every Asian-American door in Quincy asking for votes, "even if they didn't speak Chinese or English." After he had sent 72,000 pieces of literature to 22,000 homes, Chan won the election, defeating the Republican and Independent candidates.

In his closing remarks, Chan told the audience that "the message is ‘You can do this, if you really want. You can win, if you really want to.'" He also said that he aspires to become a U.S. Senator for Massachusetts, but right now, he is enjoying the moment.

"Enjoy the moment … because you only get one," he concluded.

Though many of those attending the event were from Brandeis, some students came from as far as Tufts University and Stonehill College for the event.

Caroline O'Shea, assistant director of employer relations for Hiatt, told the attendees that the event was not a career fair but rather a networking opportunity. Students had 15 to 20 minutes to socialize with an agency representative before a bell rang, signaling them to change tables.

The event was also structured so that students could network with each other.

While checking in for the forum, students were instructed to put a blue sticker on their name tag if they had previously worked for a government employer. Hiatt staff encouraged students to mingle with each other in order to get information about potential internships and jobs.