I Fulfilled My Goal of Working On Capitol Hill

I was looking for something different, so I told myself to dream bigger. The Hill came to mind when I started thinking of my future. I emailed, networked, followed each instruction, applied to programs that catered to the Hill, and yet, I felt like I was not going anywhere. Until one day, I received an email for an interview to be a press intern. I should not have been shocked that I got the internship, but I was. I did not think I could ever work there.

In June of 2019, I received an opportunity that I could not pass up. It was the chance to intern for a Senator in a high office. By taking this internship, I knew I had to sacrifice my bi-weekly paychecks for no paychecks at all. In this position, I worked with three other interns to fulfill their press standards.

I was there for a month until I knew it was time that I needed to bring some money in. When I started having panic attacks about finances, another opportunity came along. This time it was on the House side. I completed two internships on separate occasions during the fall, both with freshmen representatives.

The biggest challenge was to learn how to speak to constituents and staffers. I had to prove to everyone that I was there to help in any way that I could. But there were moments where I could have lost my cool.

Side note: Anyone can call each representative or senator of Congress because everything is paid for by the taxpayer. Their numbers are public for anyone to see. The people who answer those calls are respectful staffers who are there to help the caller with anything.

Some callers were so upset, all we could do was listen. There were moments where I had to bite my tongue, and I am glad I did. Speaking to those citizens allowed me to speak in a calm manner and keep my cool.

I received the internship opportunities by being persistently diligent. I wanted to be on the Hill, and I was not allowing anyone to tell me no. My motivation was to keep pushing for the position I wanted. Being denied for those previous internships was for the best, it just wasn’t for me.

On the last day of my internship, I was able to exhale. Mainly because I knew my life on the Hill, as an intern, was finally over. I chuckle to myself because I did what I said I wanted to do. This was probably the best “real-life” experience I ever received and I will never trade it. That experience will forever be a reminder to never stop pursuing my goals.