Having reached the end of my first summer in Washington D.C., I found myself reflecting on the past eight weeks. I had the time of my life!
I began my first summer in Washington D.C. as a newly hired Legislative Affairs Intern for an Alaska based corporation with headquarters in Vienna, Virginia. My Aunt, a longtime resident of Alexandria Virginia, works on Pennsylvania Avenue and graciously offered me a room for the summer while I was in town. When I arrived at Reagan National Airport on June 6, I had no understanding of what an amazing summer it would prove to be.
My first weekend in D.C, I was fortunate enough to attend an event hosted at the Library of Congress, for Ken Burns’ upcoming film, The War, to be released in late September. The Library of Congress building is stunning, the history and knowledge contained in the carved marble is beyond words. This was an exhilarating way to begin my summer, and made me conscious of the history being made each day in this city.
I spent my first few days as an intern becoming accustomed to the D.C. Metro, which is filled with a mixture of members of the military, pentagon officials and civilians such as myself. Passing by the Foggy Bottom and Federal Triangle stops always made me feel like I was in a Tom Clancy book, an author of whom I am an avid fan.
My internship only made my interest in this city grow. The corporation I worked for is associated with the National Geospatial Agency, a government agency involved with intelligence for national security purposes. Since I was working in legislative affairs, I didn’t have security clearance of any sort, but I loved my work nonetheless!
Through my work, I learned a great deal about the Legislative Process as well as gaining a simple understanding of the faced paced nature of Washington D.C. I was fortunate enough to go to Capitol Hill each week to observe Congressional Hearings. My first hearing was in regards to the issue of the District’s controversial “taxation without representation” with Barack Obama was in attendance. Attending this hearing for my first Capitol Hill experience only made me more enamored with D.C.
I spent the majority of my time preparing Memorandums for the General Counsel of the corporation, on a variety of subjects. I was also involved with Market Research and learned a great deal about the Government side of procurement.
To those who say politics is a dishonest, under the table world of deals, trades of votes for money, I honestly respect that opinion. I fully agree that stashing hundreds of thousands of dollars in one’s freezer does not exactly paint a picture of honesty and integrity. But I would also point out that many politicians have the opportunity to do good deeds, and many are working to represent the best interests of the citizens of the United States.
I challenge those individuals contemplating a career in Politics and Government to take matters into their own hands. Our generation is equipped with numerous tools to help improve our government. We have the energy, intelligence, and technology to accomplish a world of good. We have an infinite amount of information at our fingertips and we simply must direct our resources in ways that benefit those in need.
I left the incredible capitol of the United States understanding that this summer was only the beginning of my future with the government of our great country. I gained a great deal of knowledge from my experience, most importantly an awareness that my education has only just begun! I absolutely cannot wait to return to D.C.!
