A Turning Point

So to be honest, I have fallen a little behind on my blogging. The first half of my quarter was dry and there was little to blog about, but I have been maxed out with activities the last two weeks. This blog is going to rewind to two weeks ago, which proved to be a turning point in my quarter in Washington.

The week of February 6th was a very eventful week for me at the Open World Leadership Center. Monday was our annual Board of Trustees meeting, where I was able to meet the distinguished members of our Board including Senator Ben Nelson, Former Senator Bud Cramer, and Librarian of Congress Dr. James Billington. At the conclusion of the meeting, Dr. Billington took me and a few others to his ceremonial office in the Jefferson building of the Library of Congress. While he has a modern working office in another building, the ceremonial office was the original office used by the Librarian and features the same decadence as the rest of the building. Here is a photo of Dr. Billington’s desk:

 Dr. Billington had us sit at the round table in his office and was anxious to talk with us and answer our questions. Although he had limited time to talk, I can’t honestly say I’ve learned more about history in a half hour than any other time in my life. I doubt anyone can find someone more suited for the job of Librarian of Congress considering this man is a “walking library.” I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity to speak with such a remarkable man.

After such a great beginning, my work week concluded with a trip to the Ukrainian Embassy to meet the delegations we were hosting that week in Washington. Our delegations receive a two day orientation here in DC and then fly out to host cities across the country for an eight day program. When we have delegations from Ukraine, the embassy usually hosts a reception for us featuring amazing Ukrainian hors d’oeuvres.

The Ukrainian Embassy has a very interesting history because it also has historical relevance to the city of Washington.  It was formerly known as the Forrest-Marbury House and is located in Georgetown close to the Potomac River.  It is famous for a meeting that occurred on March 29, 1791, when George Washington met with local land owners to discuss the federal government’s purchase of land for the new capital city.  There is a book inside the house, and inside the book is an old black key that is said to be the key of the city, given to Washington himself.  Here I am holding this fabled key:

Uriah Forrest, the first owner of the house and the mayor of the Town of George, sold it in 1880 to William Marbury, who is well known for challenging James Madison in the court trial Marbury v. Madison.  The Ukrainian Embassy has been housed in the building since 2008.

My internship at the Open World Leadership Center has really proven to offer me opportunities that I wouldn’t have interning anywhere else.  Speaking with the Librarian of Congress was definitely a highlight of my DC experience, as well as my visit to the Ukrainian Embassy.  Ukraine is now on my list of places to visit after mingling with its people and trying their fantastic food.  Stay tuned to the WAIP blog to see what adventures I go on next . . . . . .




JS