I truly wanted to write my last blog post on all of the incredibly fascinating things I get to do on a daily basis as a Senate intern; from my riveting conversations with Senator Sherrod Brown to running through the Capitol Visitor’s Center with my intern friends to find Secretary Clinton roaming the halls (we were successful, btw.) I could go on for days about the last three months of my life and the experiences I never would have had without this program, but instead, I think I’ll talk more about what this summer has meant to me and what it means for me as I look ahead.
A little back story: Coming here, you have a ton of guidance from all facets, whether that’s your parents, your internship coordinators, or even the peers and friends you surround yourself with. All of that said, nothing really prepares you for the bright-eyed exhaustion that you face doing this work. I have pulled 16 hour days before in my undergraduate career, but this is completely different. 16 hours in this capacity is compiled of a full-time job, class/policy salons, study tours, 20-page papers, and policy briefs. This also includes exploring all the city has to offer and taking time to breathe. The latter doesn’t happen as often, though.
I’m writing this while sitting on the front steps of the Capitol Building as the sun goes down, staring at the National Mall in all of its historic glory. I haven’t really had much time to reflect on my time here and who I was when I got on that plane in early May to come to the District. I guess when time flies and you really are having loads of fun, reflection doesn’t seem necessary. I suppose I’ll start with the notion that, before coming here, I was afraid of failing. I was afraid that I would never be as smart as those who surrounded me in my major, in my classes, and in the professional world. Not only was I afraid of failing intellectually, I was afraid of failing myself and the people who were skeptical of me taking an unpaid internship in a city I didn’t know. Throughout my lifetime, there have been many truly defining moments that have helped me become who I am today. This experience has been the most ground shattering definition of change that I have ever seen in myself. Failing is one of the worst actualities a person can ever come to terms with, but once you realize that failing is so irrelevant in retrospect to the feeling you have when you succeed, you start to take more chances. I don’t jump out of planes and I don’t backpack through the mountains for weeks at a time. That being said, I have never felt more brave in my 21 years because of the risks I have taken and the time I spent failing and picking myself back up again throughout the last three months.
I feel humbled and blessed every second of every single day to be here. I want whoever is reading this to know that when you’re in an experience like this, that feeling never goes away. The night view of the Washington Monument still takes my breath away. I still have to pinch myself when I look out my window at night to the Supreme Court. This city has my heart and all of my ambitions and goals attached to it. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Who knew a girl like me, with all of her baggage and crazy life experiences, would finally know what she wants to do with the rest of her life. Thank you, Washington, DC, for changing me and making me feel strong again.
-Emily Underation
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