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Throughout the course of this semester, I have had the privilege
of being an intern in the Kentucky State Senate. While in high school,
I had the joy of being a constitutional page in the same chamber, so I
was glad to be back. It was good to see old friends and to continue
facilitating the connections that I started building in the 2025 session.
As a page, I saw the formal procedures, like votes and debates. I
already knew the basics, but I had a limited view of the work that was
going on behind the scenes. My internship through UofL placed me in
the office of my county’s Senator. Not only was I excited to work with
my elected official, but I was also excited to see the dynamics of a
legislative office. Eager and ready to learn, I started my first day in Frankfort, not knowing the lessons that
I was about to learn.
It did not take me long to realize that the legislative process is much more personal than it
seems from the Senate floor. Behind every bill, or committee substitute, there is a person, family,
or business whose life is shaped by the decisions that are made within the chamber. The meetings
that I observed weren’t policy debates; they were discussions about communities like mine back
home. These discussions are what I value the most from my internship.
For me, home is not determined by geographical bounds, but by the people in my
community. I can truly say that the people of Owen County are the best people I know. They are
kind, hard-working, and deeply committed to the entire community. In Owen County, neighbors
show up. They check in on one another during difficult seasons, support local businesses, and
gather together in moments of both celebration and hardship.
Since I’ve been in college, I have been longing for the community that I left in the fall.
Being in Frankfort has rekindled that relationship with my community that I felt I had lost. Every
time we had someone in the office from Owen County, I felt like I was at home again, with the
people that I hold most dear in this world. It is through these experiences that I learned the
biggest lesson of the internship.
I learned that leadership means most when it comes from the heart. Working in the
Capitol isn’t always easy, so something has to keep you going. For me, that is my community,
and the people in it. The decisions that are made in Frankfort mean more when they impact
individuals and families at home. So, if I ever take a political job in the future, I have one new
requirement: it has to represent the individuals of my community well, because I refuse to forget
where I come from.
Christian is a McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville in the class of 2029. He is studying
political science and history.