An Unforgettable Opportunity: The Internship Begins...

I could not sleep the night before the first day of my internship because I was overwhelmed with excitement. I stayed up all night ironing my clothes ten times over and checking and double-checking my bag to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything. In fear of massive train delays, I left my apartment at a ridiculous hour to make sure that I wouldn’t be late. Early is better than late, but two hours early? Well that called for Starbucks, which, like every other city, is thankfully on every corner. When I arrived at Downey McGrath Group, I met the other intern who like me was incredibly early and very nervous. We were introduced to the staff, who greeted us very kindly, which calmed my nerves.

We spent the first day in a meeting learning about lobbying and their specific clients. I became fascinated by the amount and diversity of clients that sought their advocacy. We also came to find out that one of the Vice Presidents was featured in “Politico” described as a former McCain staffer turned lobbyist who now advocates for the legalization of online gambling and offshore drilling. That’s not exactly all that he does, but it was funny to hear your boss being smeared. He’s a good sport.

As the week progressed I was able to attend two Capitol Hill meetings, one was a mark up involving criminal background checks for healthcare employees. The other was an energy summit intended to foster bipartisan dialogue on how to achieve a more secure, reliable, sustainable and affordable energy future for the American people. It was fascinating watching the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a panel of expert witnesses discuss America’s energy future. As an intern, my job is to record the high points and specific statements that directly affect our clients and then write a memorandum.

A great thing about working for former Congressmen and lobbyists is that they get invited to great events and pass along the invitations to us. In my first week, I was invited to a book release party where I was in the presence of Carol Browner, former Administrator of the EPA, and Senator Tom Daschle, former Senate Majority Leader. I have a long list of upcoming events, several a week, that I am very fortunate to have the opportunity to attend. In addition to working 9-5, DC has a lot of great volunteering opportunities. The Washington Center and Greater DC Cares have been very effective in sending out e-mails notifying us of very diverse and fun volunteering events. Since I have arrived I’ve spent a day in the rain distributing sandbags during Hurricane Hannah, working at the Pentagon Memorial ceremony, food drives, homeless shelters, and beautifying the city (a nice way to say picking up trash). Next week I start volunteering at the Republican headquarters for John McCain’s campaign. All in all, it's been a very exciting and productive week! Now for a not so productive weekend starting with happy hour!