 |
| Me in front of the Capitol on my last day of my internship (Dec. 2019) |
As a resident of the 7th Congressional District in Maryland, the late Honorable Elijah E. Cummings was always a public figure that I looked up to. Due to the proximity of University of Maryland to Washington, D.C., I knew that I had to get another internship in the city, but this time, on Capitol Hill.
Getting a Capitol Hill internship is definitely one of the best internships a student studying political science can get. I fortunate to be have been chosen to be an intern as a part of his incredible staff. This was definitely one of the best experiences that I have had in college so far! This was such a crazy time because this semester I was taking 21 credits, interning on Capitol Hill 3 days a week, spending 6 hours a week in the Sociology Group Processes Lab, and still participating in several student organizations.
 |
| Me on the speakers balcony. Unfortunately, it was a cloudy day so you can't see the Washington Monument in the background. |
Since I had prior experience working in an office setting, I was hoping that basic tasks such as answering phones, responding to emails, sorting mail, using the printer, and logging constituent concerns would be easy, but once I got there, I became pretty nervous because every task was so important! However, over time I got the hang of it and felt super comfortable there.
Some of the cool things that I got to do were sitting in on and taking notes for some hearings. That was really cool because in my classes we would talk about topics that were relevant to the congressional hearing I attended that week and I could share first hand knowledge with the class. One of my tasks as an intern was to do policy research and recommendations for the Congressman. Some of the research that I did actually got published in the last bill he introduced to Congress which was the Asthma bill. I also got to collect and deliver signatures which was so cool! I really enjoyed the hustle and bustle of running around the Capitol trying to find certain Congressmen's offices, getting a signature, then running it to the right room in time. One thing that I did not know prior to this internship was that there were tunnels underground to connect the buildings! There was a tram that you could ride that would help you get to different buildings, as well as so many stores and restaurants. There were always events going on at the Capitol, so attending those were always fun after my shift.
 |
| Me in the elevator while running around the Capitol delivering a bill |
The most fascinating experience that I got to do while interning there was to attend one of the impeachment inquiries. That day I came in expecting to do normal work, but a staff member from the Oversight Committee grabbed me, gave me a badge, ran me through the buildings, and placed me in the room where it happened! I thought it was so incredible because my parents were at home watching what I was seeing with my own two eyes. Towards the end, the gave me the tasks of watching the door to make sure that only members of Congress and their staff could enter. While standing there, I got to watch the witnesses exit the building, and my Grandma said she saw me on MSNBC!
 |
| Impeachment inquiry! |
Unfortunately, halfway through my internship the congressman passed away. It was so sad to have him pass away, especially in the middle of this pivotal time with the impeachment. The office was upset, but kept the moral going. I was very happy that the staff members continued to give me tasks even though all of the legislative duties of the office were at a temporary halt. The following weeks were filled with thousands of condolence letters and meals and celebrations of his life.
I am very eager to get back onto Capitol Hill before my undergraduate career is over because it was a great experience that I'll never forget!