Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.

-       Harriet Tubman

After getting a little too excited about the news that Harriet Tubman would be replacing President Jackson as the face of the $20 bill (yes, this is what living in D.C. has done to me), I was doing some research into her life story and came across this quote. Her words struck me, in part because they’re so beautiful, in part because I’m a really sappy person, and in part because they made me think of the inspirational people I’ve met in my short time living in this city (see? really sappy).

I should say first that D.C. is amazing. WAIP study tours have taken us to NASA, the White House, the Library of Congress, Frederick Douglass’ house, and the Washington Monument – and those are just a handful of my favorites. In my free time, I’ve gotten a chance to visit museum favorites like the National Gallery, the Renwick, and the Postal Museum; I’ve explored the Waterfront area, biked to Mount Vernon and Great Falls, browsed through the eccentric Capitol Hill Books, fueled my tapas fanaticism (Turkish are my favorite - I recommend Zaytinya if you’re not paying, and Ezme if you are J), had a way-too-fancy-for-how-little-is-in-my-wallet Sunday brunch at Iron Gate, ran along the C&O Canal, walked around DuPont in the middle of a blizzard, attended an event at the Supreme Court with Justice Ginsburg, rooted for D.C. United in RFK Stadium, and sat on the steps of the Jefferson at midnight (my D.C. favorite – it’s a little bit magical when the whole city empties out and all of our country’s most celebrated monuments are left there, just for you).

There’s a lot to do here!  Thankfully, D.C. is filled with amazing coffee shops so you can sleep less and do more in between work, policy papers, informational interviews, and class-time. I knew I would grow from WAIP: that I would develop professional skills, learn better time management, gain a better grasp of the kind of career I could see myself having, become a better writer and researcher through my work at a nonprofit, and just generally get to know myself better.

For some reason, though, I never really imagined how much the people in this city would change me. D.C. is full of dreamers who have turned into doers, and it’s the conversations I’ve had more than the things I’ve done and the places I’ve gone that have opened my mind and taught me more about myself. At work, I’ve learned from my two supervisors who have had so much guidance to impart about gaining confidence and assertiveness in professional environments. With my mentor, I’ve discussed the importance of having determination but also letting yourself do crazy things sometimes. I’ve met an engineer working on the Waterfront development project who lives in North Carolina and learned that sometimes chasing your passion means a REALLY long commute. Talking to women involved in the push to get a Women’s History Museum on the mall made me see what it means to dedicate your time to an issue you care about.

But it’s not just the people I’ve met at work, during policy salons, or while doing informational interviews that have given me valuable insights. The rideshare drivers I’ve had over the past four months have taken me by surprise with how much they’ve taught me: I’ve gotten everything from restaurant recommendations to relationship advice, offers to help me start my career, insights about the future of the tech industry and basically humanity altogether (AI is scary!!), a lesson about the importance of family from Russian gentleman trying to move his parents to America, and a story of determination from a guy and his wife who quit their jobs to follow their dreams of starting their own businesses – they do rideshare and pass out business cards (him for his consulting practice, her for her floral decoration and event planning company). The OSU alumni I’ve met here have really hit it home for me how important it is to pay it forward and help the next generation. WAIP has shown me that even at a young age people can be so incredibly passionate about a diverse variety of interests and be willing to leave what’s fun and easy in Columbus to chase their dreams; everyone who goes through this process is a dreamer and a doer, and I've learned so much from them. 

I’m so fortunate to have had so many life lessons and personal realizations during my time here - sometimes I think the scariest but most important thing I've learned is that there's still so much learning and growing to do. But whether my future leads me back here or someplace far away, I know that I'll be okay as long as I listen to Harriet Tubman's words and have the patience, strength, and passion to follow my dreams, and always surround myself with people who do too. 

- Maria Vlasie