Becoming A Washington Insider

Washington DC is a city of old and new. It is a city that represents accomplishment and failure.  It is a city that brings together people of all classes and upbringings.  This unique city cannot be compared to any in the world because of its inhabitants who embody the full spirit of the American working class by keeping the heart of our government pumping.  Through the Glenn School program, I myself am now fortunate enough to become a part of the capital’s culture through immersion in work, exploration, and living.   If the first few days are any indicator of how my experience in DC will go, I am in for the time of my life as I become a fledgling “Washington Insider.”

 

I got to visit DC several times during my childhood and observed all of the interns walking around Capitol Hill and I have seen numerous protests outside the White House and on the National Mall.  I always wanted to make these political events a part of my everyday life, as a citizen of Washington.  Now here I am: Turning 20 as I intern at a professional security think tank and walk past the Supreme Court as the Justices make their historic Obama health care decision.  I recognize how fortunate I am to be provided this opportunity and its all thanks to the John Glenn School.

The next two months will be full of amazing experiences; through planned events and random DC happenings.  By already receiving a taste of what my internship will be like and attending orientation with Dr. Kolson and Mike McCandlish, I know for a fact that applying to the John Glenn program will be one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life.  The advice and knowledge I’ll receive from Dr. Kolson and other experienced DC mentors I meet at excursions will be invaluable to us Glenn Fellows, who just happen to be some of the brightest, most enjoyable kids that Ohio State has to offer.  We may not succeed at everything we do in class or in our jobs, but we will reap the benefits of our DC accomplishments for years to come.  One more thing I foresee DC giving us will be in our interactions with the different walks of life that this nation has to offer. Whether it is the tea party folk camped outside the Supreme Court, the colorful variety of people that inhabit the DC Metro, or the high profile people I meet through at work, Washington will definitely show me many walks of life from around our country.  I look forward to every single day I have left here and reporting about my Washington experiences as I become a young “Washington Insider.”

-Alex Polivka