I had a similar experience. I was born and raised a conservative but I got very involved in public interest law in law school. However, I approached it from a “teach a man to fish” perspective whereas the vast majority of my colleagues approached it from a “give a man a fish” perspective.
I should have pursued it further, I would have made an excellent mole!!
I guess I always worry about assuming that kind of role (a mole) because there is always the danger you might “go native”, being immersed in it...
The “fish” analogy is so apt to liberalism. They simply cannot comprehend it.