Levente Tóth, Csenge Balogh, Laura Mészáros, and Ádám Turi – 2026 Széll Kálmán Fellows
Csenge Balogh, Levente Tóth, Laura Mészáros, and Ádám Turi were the four participants in this year’s Summer Széll Kálmán Public Policy Fellowship. The fellows spent eight weeks in Washington, D.C., taking classes at George Mason University, interning at a host organization of their choice, and participating in extracurricular events, conferences, panel discussions, Congressional hearings, and meetings.
Csenge Balogh interned at the American Legislative Exchange Council as a Tax and Fiscal Policy Intern over the summer, working on U.S. state-level taxation policies. She also attended George Mason University to deepen her knowledge of U.S. foreign policy and international relations.
Her overall impression with the Széll Kálmán Fellowship was to find how diverse and complex the program is – concentrating simultaneously on the American summer program experience while emphasizing the importance of our representation of Hungary. She truly loved that the fellows were not only busy with their internship and university classes, but also had the chance to meet Hungarian professionals all around D.C. and connect with them. They managed to become part of a Hungarian community in D.C., which is very valuable. The program taught her what it means to be Hungarian abroad and how important the way you present yourself is, which is one of the few things that cannot be learnt by reading books.
“Everywhere you go, you should always remember where you came from. As a Tax and Fiscal Policy intern, almost everything was new to me: the working culture, English as an everyday and working language, the way my colleagues communicated, their ambition and drive, but mostly my area – the tax system in the U.S. At the same time, as the only international I was an outlier, but I never felt bad about it, since I knew that I was there to learn and experience, and I did not have to integrate fully.” – Csenge Balogh
Levente Tóth interned at the American Short Line and Railroad Association, and he studied Business and Government Relations at George Mason University. His overall experience with the Széll Kálmán Public Policy Fellowship was extremely positive and exceeded his expectations. The program provided him with opportunities that would have been very difficult to access from Hungary, including gaining firsthand experience of the U.S. policymaking process, meeting public officials and policy professionals, and participating in substantive academic and professional programs in Washington, D.C. Through his internship, he attended congressional hearings and meetings, prepared policy materials, and worked on research projects related to transportation and government affairs.
The Hungary Foundation also added significant value to the experience through meetings, professional events, and discussions focused on American–Hungarian relations, public policy, and history. He particularly appreciated the reading seminars and other events that encouraged thoughtful discussion among the fellows. Overall, the fellowship was one of the busiest but also one of the most rewarding periods of his life, and it strengthened both his professional interests and his commitment to transatlantic cooperation.
“The most important thing I learned from the fellowship is that policymaking is not an abstract process but the result of continuous preparation, communication, and cooperation among many different actors. Through my internship, congressional meetings, hearings, and policy discussions, I saw how research, briefing materials, personal relationships, and well-timed advocacy can influence how public officials understand an issue.” – Levente Tóth
As part of the Széll Kálmán Fellowship, Laura Mészáros worked at the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), where she gained deeper insight into political communication, democratic engagement, and the role of outreach within organizations supporting democratic institutions worldwide. She also attended courses in Economics and U.S. Foreign Policy at George Mason University to complement her internship experience.
The Széll Kálmán Fellowship greatly broadened her perspective and opened her eyes to new opportunities and career paths that she had never considered before. It gave her an incredible networking network and allowed her to meet inspiring people from a wide range of professional backgrounds. The experience also helped her gain a clearer vision of my future and better understand the directions she would like to pursue in her career.
“The most important thing I learned from my fellowship experience is the importance of networking, building meaningful connections, and genuinely connecting with people. I also learned how rewarding it is to preserve and celebrate Hungarian traditions even when you are far from home. Meeting people with whom I could share common Hungarian traditions and experiences made the fellowship feel especially meaningful to me.” – Laura Mészáros
Ádám Turi’s intellectual curiosity had a particular interest in American political thought and constitutional culture. To deepen his understanding in this field, he spent the summer at George Mason University in Washington, D.C., where he participated in academic research and enrolled in university-level courses, including American Political Thought.
“I believe the most valuable opportunities are those we enter with many questions, where we find answers to some of them but return home with entirely new questions – questions we may never even have considered before. The Széll Kálmán Fellowship was exactly this kind of experience for me.” – Ádám Turi
While he was learning about the United States, he also tried to help those around him learn more about Hungary. Through personal stories, conversations about our history, and, of course, Hungarian flavours, he hoped to share something of the country, the culture, and the Carpathian Basin with the people he met.
Taking part in the program was an incredible and deeply valuable experience for him. He had the privilege to meet the participants of this year’s TFAS DC summer program from different states and from many countries around the world. These weeks have enriched him both professionally and personally, and he is certain that the experiences he gained will continue to influence his work and the way he thinks for many years to come.