“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, within you is the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars, to change the world.” -Harriet Tubman
As an intern, you must constantly remind yourself why and what brought you to D.C., why you are working on the Hill, association, or lobbying group. It is easy to get sucked into the foggy layer of negative thoughts in the capitol city. When these thoughts start taking root in your mind, take a second and remind yourself why you chose to come here, and reflect on the lessons learned thus far and establish goals to guide the remainder of your stay.
The person leaving D.C. will not be the same as the one who landed. The time you spend in D.C. prepares you for life beyond politics and bureaucracy. You more than likely will not make a monumental change drastically altering the course of politics forever. However, you will leave equipped with tools to be an agent of change in your home, community, state, and beyond.
The most valuable piece of advice I can give you is to stay true to who you are, do not allow others to pressure you into believing or doing something you do not morally agree with, and take time for yourself. Whether that means jogging around town, walking on the treadmill, or sitting in bed with a book or watching Netflix. Your time here is valuable. However, you will be unable to take full advantage of it if you do not take care of yourself.
You once dreamed of working and living in D.C. and even if it does not live up to your expectations, treat it as a learning experience, make the most of it while you are here, and approach every day with a positive attitude.
McKenna Bush
House Committee on Agriculture – majority office
Washington, D.C. | spring 2020
