Each year, we spotlight our NexPoint Tower Scholar seniors. We enjoy hearing about their journey through the program and how their perspective on the importance of sound policy evolved when combined with their own academic interests. This year, we asked our incoming and current scholars to interview the seniors and were delighted by the conversations captured.
Drew Marriott ‘26 interviewed Lillian (Lily) Derr ‘24 to learn more about her time as a NexPoint Tower Scholar. A senior graduating in 2024, Lily is currently majoring in math and political science, and minoring in environmental engineering and public policy and international affairs. She hopes to pursue a career that blends her interest in public policy with the STEM skills she has built in her time at SMU.
Did you plan on pursuing your current majors and minors when you started at SMU?
I came into SMU as an environmental engineering major. And then my first semester freshman year, I took a random honors class — Intro to American Government with Professor Kobylka — and I really liked it! So that kind of changed everything. From there, I applied to and was admitted to the Tower Scholars Program; I continued to love learning about policy, so I decided to make a switch. I kept the math major and added my political science major.
What is your vision for your post-grad life and career?
After I graduate, I will be a research analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas in the International Group! I am excited because I think the Federal Reserve is a great place to combine my skills in both math and policy. It also happens that my Tower Scholars practicum was at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, so I am glad to be continuing what I began due to the Tower Scholars Program! The research analyst position is for two years and then I hope to go to graduate school after that.
Have your career aspirations been influenced by your time in the Tower Scholars Program?
Oh, definitely. Through Tower, I was able to work at the Bush Institute in their Economic Growth department. And last semester, I was at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. I think the program really teaches you a lot about policy, but it also teaches you so many ways you can use that policy knowledge. Tower, and the people I have met through it, have really helped me find my current career path.
Interning at the Bush Institute sounds like a wonderful opportunity! What kind of work are you doing there?
In August 2022 I started as an intern in their Economics department helping with research, and then in January of 2023, they asked me to stay on as a consultant. So, I have been working with them since then. I do economic growth research for them, mostly on domestic innovation. I am exploring how we can bring prosperity and innovation to places across the U.S. I feel lucky to have the Bush Institute on our campus!
What was one impactful experience you had as part of the Tower Scholars Program?
In February of my junior year, my class traveled to Washington, D.C. The trip was built on work we had been doing for a client throughout the year. Our goal was to find as many federal resources as possible to help the client. So, we got to visit private and federal organizations including the Pentagon, the Department of Commerce, the NSC, and some think tanks. That was a cool experience because I was not only working on the policy project, but also getting to see how D.C. works. I had been to Washington once briefly, but not for any substantive amount of time, so the trip was great for me to understand the city better.
Do you have any advice for current or future Tower Scholars on how to best take advantage of the resources that the program offers?
My biggest advice is to always say yes. If you are connected to someone or offered an opportunity to go to an event or something — always say yes. Everyone in the Tower Program is so helpful, and they want to connect you to other people who can help you. But that can’t happen if you’re not there! Be open to new opportunities. I really thought I was going to be an engineer until I came into the Tower Scholars Program. So, I think being flexible and showing interest is important.
