What does a background in service bring to political leadership—and to citizenship more broadly? Emily Cherniack draws on her work building New Politics and her experience in political organizing to explore how military and civilian service—from the armed forces to the Peace Corps—can shape more effective and grounded leaders. Joined in conversation by Will Thorndike, former chair of the College of the Atlantic Board of Trustees and current chair of the Summer Institute Planning Committee, the discussion explores how and why service has long been a pathway into public life, what it offers in today's political environment, and how recruiting more leaders shaped by service can help build what many describe as a new "radical center" in American public life.

More broadly, the conversation considers how a culture of service can deepen civic engagement and strengthen the habits of citizenship on which democracy depends. At a moment that calls for renewed trust in institutions and one another, it explores whether service-first leadership can help bridge political divides and strengthen the democratic center on which a resilient and connected society depends.