During the Summer of 2011 I spent six weeks in Washington D.C. interning for the Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. It was an extremely rewarding experience during a fascinating time for our country. For the most part, my time in Washington was very enjoyable and I was able to learn quite a bit along the way.
I roomed with fellow McConnell Scholar, Trey Pippin, in an English Basement Apartment near Galluadet University. I was fortunate to find this place on Craiglist, owned by a Political Science professor who worked at the nearby University. Everyday we could catch the bus right outside and have a ten to fifteen minute commute to Union Station. After the short five minute walk (which was very nice because this summer was the hottest D.C. has been in a while) we would clear the security scanners at the Russell Senate Office Building.
I worked Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. It was quite the change of pace from the college lifestyle. My duties at work including organizing mail, answering phones, drafting responses, and giving tours. I also was able to attend a few lobbyist meetings, committee hearings, and guest speaker lectures. I had the legislative topics of Labor, Transportation, Technology and a few others, working primarily under the Senator’s legal counsel, Russell Coleman, and Legislative Aide, Talmage Hocker.
Going through mail was tedious but it was also informative. The sheer volume of e-mails and snail-mail is much more than you would think. It’s also disheartening to know that because there is just so much, that it would be impossible for the Senator to read it otherwise he would do nothing but that all day long. It pained me to see a four-page hand written letter from a Veteran who lived in another state and know that his comments had fallen to deaf ears. On the bright side though, it was rewarding to draft up the responses that constituents would one day receive and hopefully feel proud to participate in the two-way communication that must take place in a republic.
Answering phones was usually provided a good mid-day rush. The types of people and the topics they were calling about were all over the place. You would have the short exclamation of “Don’t cut my medicare!” to a ten minute conversation where you essentially let the person rant. While the occasional caller was just completely angry, it was uplifting to get the occasional compliment from people that were just happy to have someone to voice their opinion to , and from those who were glad to hear “a young man” was interested in public service.
Giving tours of the Capitol was by-far my favorite part of the workday. Walking through that incredible building never got old, and it was especially rewarding to share that experience with those who were seeing it for the first time. The families I gave tours to were from all over Kentucky, yet most of the time I could name a mutual friend or acquaintance. They all had their own story and included alumni of the McConnell Center, U of L, and my fraternity. One of the most memorable experiences of my summer was giving a tour to a Kentucky Veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam War. He was visiting D.C. with his son and grandson, for the first time since he had been through there in the military. He knew 34 people on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, which he said was tough to visit but, “was something that he needed to do.” As we walked around the Capitol other veterans approached him and asked him which company he served in and it was incredible to see the type of bond that existed between what otherwise would have been strangers. He even managed to stand up from his wheel chair to get a picture next to the statue of Eisenhower, his favorite President.
The Senate Sergeant in Arms Office puts on a Guest Lecture Series for the interns. I was able to attend a few of these while I was there, with an impressive list including but not limited to: Attorney General Holder, Justice Scalia, Congressman Shock, Secretary Sebelius , and Senator Alexander. Celebrity Status aside (well for Political Science and history nerds), it’s always insightful to have the opportunity to hear these successful people tell their stories about being involved in government and politics, and there are a few anecdotes and lessons that I will be taking away from them.
I also was sure to make the most of my time living in D.C. On the weekends I would meet up with friends that I had met through my fraternity and experience what the city has to offer. During the weekends I was able to visit the monuments and tourist attractions which still managed to move me on the fourth and fifth visit. My parents and sister visited one weekend and we did a Segway tour of the monuments which I’m sure will be a topic of family discussion for quite some time. I also really enjoyed trying the various restaurants and shops in the city. D.C. has a wide-array of places to experiences, and I know that I only touched the tip of the iceberg. Bill Brammell and I took a morning hike along the Potamac and then ate at the infamous Ray’s Hell Burger (President Obama’s burger place of choice). It was days like this that really make me want to go back and spend a few years in a city which seems to have the people, places, and opportunity that I’m searching for after graduation.
One lesson I definitely learned was the limitless worth of your human network. Because of U of L, McConnell Scholars, and Sigma Chi, I was able to go to Washington and meet exactly the mentors and friends I needed to meet to make it an incredible trip. If you make the right connections in this country you will never be without someone to help, something to do, or someone to be with.
The common questions upon my return were, “Are you a republican now?” and “Has Washington left a bad taste in your mouth.” The answers are no, (both parties are starting to disgust me) and absolutely not. Despite our Congress’ all-time low approval rating, and the large amount of inefficiency and posturing in Washington, I personally still find it to be a place where great things can be done. However, this can only be if the right people are there. The signature Capitol Dome stands for nothing if the people under it don’t. Looking at the opportunities that I have had, including this Summer, I feel obligated to at least play my part in maintaining (or returning) the glory of our government. I may have naive patriotism, but not many people get to celebrate their 20th Birthday next to the Washington Monument during the 4th of July Fireworks.
I roomed with fellow McConnell Scholar, Trey Pippin, in an English Basement Apartment near Galluadet University. I was fortunate to find this place on Craiglist, owned by a Political Science professor who worked at the nearby University. Everyday we could catch the bus right outside and have a ten to fifteen minute commute to Union Station. After the short five minute walk (which was very nice because this summer was the hottest D.C. has been in a while) we would clear the security scanners at the Russell Senate Office Building.
I worked Monday through Friday from 8:30 A.M. - 5:30 P.M. It was quite the change of pace from the college lifestyle. My duties at work including organizing mail, answering phones, drafting responses, and giving tours. I also was able to attend a few lobbyist meetings, committee hearings, and guest speaker lectures. I had the legislative topics of Labor, Transportation, Technology and a few others, working primarily under the Senator’s legal counsel, Russell Coleman, and Legislative Aide, Talmage Hocker.
Going through mail was tedious but it was also informative. The sheer volume of e-mails and snail-mail is much more than you would think. It’s also disheartening to know that because there is just so much, that it would be impossible for the Senator to read it otherwise he would do nothing but that all day long. It pained me to see a four-page hand written letter from a Veteran who lived in another state and know that his comments had fallen to deaf ears. On the bright side though, it was rewarding to draft up the responses that constituents would one day receive and hopefully feel proud to participate in the two-way communication that must take place in a republic.
Answering phones was usually provided a good mid-day rush. The types of people and the topics they were calling about were all over the place. You would have the short exclamation of “Don’t cut my medicare!” to a ten minute conversation where you essentially let the person rant. While the occasional caller was just completely angry, it was uplifting to get the occasional compliment from people that were just happy to have someone to voice their opinion to , and from those who were glad to hear “a young man” was interested in public service.
Giving tours of the Capitol was by-far my favorite part of the workday. Walking through that incredible building never got old, and it was especially rewarding to share that experience with those who were seeing it for the first time. The families I gave tours to were from all over Kentucky, yet most of the time I could name a mutual friend or acquaintance. They all had their own story and included alumni of the McConnell Center, U of L, and my fraternity. One of the most memorable experiences of my summer was giving a tour to a Kentucky Veteran of both the Korean and Vietnam War. He was visiting D.C. with his son and grandson, for the first time since he had been through there in the military. He knew 34 people on the Vietnam Memorial Wall, which he said was tough to visit but, “was something that he needed to do.” As we walked around the Capitol other veterans approached him and asked him which company he served in and it was incredible to see the type of bond that existed between what otherwise would have been strangers. He even managed to stand up from his wheel chair to get a picture next to the statue of Eisenhower, his favorite President.
The Senate Sergeant in Arms Office puts on a Guest Lecture Series for the interns. I was able to attend a few of these while I was there, with an impressive list including but not limited to: Attorney General Holder, Justice Scalia, Congressman Shock, Secretary Sebelius , and Senator Alexander. Celebrity Status aside (well for Political Science and history nerds), it’s always insightful to have the opportunity to hear these successful people tell their stories about being involved in government and politics, and there are a few anecdotes and lessons that I will be taking away from them.
I also was sure to make the most of my time living in D.C. On the weekends I would meet up with friends that I had met through my fraternity and experience what the city has to offer. During the weekends I was able to visit the monuments and tourist attractions which still managed to move me on the fourth and fifth visit. My parents and sister visited one weekend and we did a Segway tour of the monuments which I’m sure will be a topic of family discussion for quite some time. I also really enjoyed trying the various restaurants and shops in the city. D.C. has a wide-array of places to experiences, and I know that I only touched the tip of the iceberg. Bill Brammell and I took a morning hike along the Potamac and then ate at the infamous Ray’s Hell Burger (President Obama’s burger place of choice). It was days like this that really make me want to go back and spend a few years in a city which seems to have the people, places, and opportunity that I’m searching for after graduation.
One lesson I definitely learned was the limitless worth of your human network. Because of U of L, McConnell Scholars, and Sigma Chi, I was able to go to Washington and meet exactly the mentors and friends I needed to meet to make it an incredible trip. If you make the right connections in this country you will never be without someone to help, something to do, or someone to be with.
The common questions upon my return were, “Are you a republican now?” and “Has Washington left a bad taste in your mouth.” The answers are no, (both parties are starting to disgust me) and absolutely not. Despite our Congress’ all-time low approval rating, and the large amount of inefficiency and posturing in Washington, I personally still find it to be a place where great things can be done. However, this can only be if the right people are there. The signature Capitol Dome stands for nothing if the people under it don’t. Looking at the opportunities that I have had, including this Summer, I feel obligated to at least play my part in maintaining (or returning) the glory of our government. I may have naive patriotism, but not many people get to celebrate their 20th Birthday next to the Washington Monument during the 4th of July Fireworks.