Life Lessons from WAIP

Enjoying one of the coolest perks of WAIP - Pictures on the Speaker's Balcony after a Capitol tour!

As much as people will repeatedly tell you, it is CRAZY to think that my time in WAIP. is almost up! This has been the fastest semester in college yet and it still feels like we just got here the other week. Realizing that we will be moving out next weekend, the past few days have been incredibly reflective and really forced me to think about the biggest takeaways from this program. WAIP forces you to grow up, both professionally and personally, as you get a taste of what adulthood looks like after Ohio State. Although you likely won’t notice it happening in the moment, you will walk away from this experience as an enhanced version of yourself. These past few months have given me long-lasting friendships, incredible opportunities, and memories that I will cherish for years to come. Here are some of the important takeaways that I want everyone to know who is considering this program:

• You don’t have to have it all figured out! Sometimes there is a misconception that you have to come to D.C. and know exactly what area of public policy you want to work in and how you are going to get there, but that is not the case. Every internship and opportunity helps you grow as a person and the odds of you sticking to the exact career plan you intend are slim! You never know what will present itself to you and going in with an open mind makes all the difference.
• A fulfilling WAIP experience means something unique for everyone! It is easy to compare yourself to what other people are doing and how they are doing it, but that makes it difficult for you to worry about what is best for yourself.
• Lastly, this program really provides you the opportunity to decide if you can see yourself moving here for the long-term. Some people come to D.C. and decide that it is not right for them, which is totally fine! As a senior, I was preparing to up and move to Washington right after graduating with plans to just figure it out as I go. I’m lucky to have gotten a few months here to get the hang of it and decide if living here is something I would want to do permanently (I’ve decided I absolutely do).

Regardless of what your big takeaways are, it is almost impossible to leave WAIP without bettering yourself and growing as a person. For that, I am incredibly grateful for my time here and cannot wait to see where this takes me!