Describe the steps you took to obtain your internship.

I started in January of 2024 applying and searching for internships in the Washington D.C. area. I started by looking through the various members website for internship applications, as well as looking on the House Vacancy Bulletin which is sent out weekly to anyone who signs up and is looking for a job or internship on Capitol Hill. In preparation for my applications, I edited my resume, wrote different versions of my cover letter, and reached out to friends who had previously applied to the offices I was applying to.

How far in advance did you prepare and begin applying for your experiential learning opportunity?

I started applying in January 2024 for my Summer 2024 internship.

Describe some of your responsibilities or duties during your experiential learning opportunity.

Some of my responsibilities included answering constituent phone calls, writing memos, attending congressional briefings, assisting in writing press releases, and remarks for the member I was interning for.

What was a typical day like "on the job?"

I would typically start the day with sending out morning news clips to the office staff, listening to the voicemails, and getting my morning coffee of course! After those tasks are done, I would then assist the staff in writing memos, attending briefings around capitol hill, or getting coffee with Florida State alumni!

What are some major takeaways from your experience? How will these help prepare you for the next step after graduation?

My biggest takeaway is that there are so many different directions you can go post graduation. Graduates of Florida State have developed so many different career paths around D.C. and Capitol Hill, and you won't be short of any resources. I learned that I have so many various interests that I can explore with continuing other experiential learning opportunities, and plenty of time to explore after graduation as well!

Did this experience help clarify your career path? If yes, how so?

This experience helped power my passion and liking for communications and press! I was able to learn so much about this field through this experience, and now I know that I would like to continue finding opportunities in the field of communications.