The notion of a legacy has come up several times during my semester here in Washington, in a variety of different avenues. In addition to participating in a program that honors John Glenn's legacy and the vision he had, several of our study tours and policy salons promote building and leaving a legacy as well. The Broadway musical, Hamilton, describes a legacy as “planting seeds in a garden you never get to see”. Based on my current experience in Washington so far, this assessment is incredibly accurate, as almost everything s the direct outcome of a legacy that someone took the care of leaving behind, including the John Glenn College and Ohio State.
Everything in Washington is the result of a legacy that was left from those that came before us. The monuments, the museums, and overall foundation of our country serve as reminders of the work that has been done, and the driven, ambitious people in this city are constantly striving to positive and lasting change. Washington, DC is a city of movers and shakers with passionate and driven people, all constantly trying to leave a legacy, and hopefully, leave things better than they found it. The study tours we’ve had, the panels and individuals we’ve heard from during our policy salons, and the incredible people we work with everyday all exhibit this drive, and being among some of these passionate changemakers has been an incredible learning experience.
One of the first study tours we had was at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality Monument. The museum was filled with incredible artifacts that illustrated a huge part of American history, and focused on preserving the legacy that was left behind by these amazing suffragettes. In addition to providing incredible information about the women's suffrage movement, the museum also payed homage to those that came before them and the work that was yet to be done. Furthermore, the museum had a component that illustrated achievements from women in politics today, as well as displays that encouraged women to continue to run for public office - and leave a legacy of progress. Progress is an ongoing endeavor, and building off of those who came before us is essential in creating lasting and positive change.
This is an authentic banner that suffragettes used to advocate and protest with, displayed at the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality Monument.
In addition to the Belmont-Paul Women’s Equality Monument, the notion of legacy was also brought up a great deal when we visited the Frederick Douglas house. Our tour guide was incredibly animated and passionate and spoke about how we owe it to the next generation to build equity and promote justice, just as those that came before us worked so hard to create what we have now. He explained that the idea of legacy is an ongoing thing, and that even though others have worked tirelessly to help us have the life we currently have now, continued work must be done to ensure a steady stream of progress for future generations. We owe it to ourselves, those who came before us, and those who came after us to create something positive and that helps others.
Although many of the legacies that have been left behind in Washington are quite large ones, such as giving women the right to vote, and the public institutions we have, my semester so far has also taught me that one can leave smaller, but equally as important, legacies too. Sometimes, leaving a legacy can include excelling at your internship so the next cohort of WAIP students can learn as much as you did there, continuing to represent Ohio State in a positive light in Washington, or, simply being kind to others. Ohio State and the John Glenn College are both widely regarded in Washington, with Buckeyes in every corner of this city in a plethora of different organizations, professional fields and agencies, and it is all because of the legacy that those that came before us left behind.
We owe a lot to those who worked hard to leave us a legacy, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't continue working hard to leave one of our own. The speakers and individuals we've met with so far almost all spoke about how they're so excited for our generation to come and build something great out of what exists now. The Founding Fathers built this nation as their legacy, the suffragettes fought to further women's equality, Frederick Douglas strove to promote racial equality, Senator John Glenn left behind his commitment to public service and helping others and our generation is here, enthusiastic and ready to make a change. I’m personally so excited about the potential that our generation has to create change and know that we are ready to take on this challenge - and leave the world better than we found it.
Overall, my semester in Washington has been everything I had hoped for and more, and I’m so excited to continue and learn as much as I can during my time here.
- Varsha Challapally
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