Washington Academic Internship Program: For What Purpose Does the Gentleman From Ohio Seek Recognition?

Me: "I ask for unanimous consent to address this blog for one post, and to revise and extend my remarks."

Chairperson: “Without objection, the gentleman from Ohio is recognized for one blog post.”

Whew. Now that we’ve got the parliamentary procedure out of the way, let me tell you about the best decision I’ve ever made. Participating in WAIP and more specifically, working on the Hill for Congressman Tim Ryan.

If you go back and ask Katy, she would tell you that I was unsure about whether or not I would enjoy working on the Hill. As a journalism student obsessed with TV, it was NBC, CNN, or bust. I had negative preconceived notions on what being a Hill intern would be like.

I can say that these notions disappeared rather quickly when the opportunity arose to work for Congressman Ryan came about. Congressman Ryan is someone I had always held deep respect for. I gained even more respect and admiration for him as he began to challenge Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi for Democratic leadership in the House. The Congressman has been a rising star in the party for some time now and I relished at the opportunity to be a part of it.

Congressman Ryan is one of the more friendly and approachable members of congress. His easy to understand tone and manner makes him liked by people on both sides of the aisle.

One of the more memorable and humorous moments from my internship was when the Congressman called my extension from his office. I pick up the phone, “Office of Congressman Tim Ryan… this is Sean.” The voice on the other end whispered, “Sean this is Tim, how are you?” “Doing well Congressman, how are you?” I responded. “I’m doing pretty well. Can you do me a favor and discreetly go into the other room, grab me a bottle of water, walk out into the hallway, and bring it into my office?” said the Congressman. The reasoning behind this was that there was a meeting in the lobby of the office and the Congressman didn’t really have the time to meet with them and would prefer they didn’t know he was in. In the moment though, I found this quite strange.

I’ll never forgot my time working in Congress. You truly get the feeling of being part of something much bigger than yourself. Walking the halls of the Capitol, hearing the heel of your shoes clack is something so powerful, that I can’t really describe. I have researched policy, compiled press contacts, taken photos and video, drafted news briefings, helped write legislation, introduced bills, learned the interworking’s of Congress, made new friends from here in the US and abroad, and allowed citizens to utilize their constitutional rights by taking countless phone calls and reading countless fax and letters.

Mainly coming from a journalism background, I really didn’t have much experience in the press relations side of things. This internship has allowed me to see the other side of news and made me fall in love with civil service even more.

WAIP has truly made me a better person, I’ve grown a lot. I have always been a more introverted person and will always continue to be, but this experience has allowed me to open up like never before. Looking back to week 1 up until now, I’ve truly blossomed.

I have certainly fallen in love with Washington and am not really looking forward to leaving. DC has this strange way of making a really huge city, feel open and much smaller than it actually is. I have made new lifelong friendships and made memories that I will treasure forever. I thank you DC, for opening my eyes to life outside Cleveland and Ohio State’s campus community. I have learned a lot and even added the Washington Nationals to the list of my favorite sports teams! It will be hard to say goodbye, but perhaps an even easier, “I’ll be back.”