Archives for December 2020

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to serve as a congressional intern hundreds of miles away from Washington D.C.? I was wondering that exact thought as I transitioned my internship with Congressman Kevin Brady to a virtual setting this fall. I’m sharing a day in my life as a virtual intern and all the great things I’ve gained even though I wasn’t able to be in D.C.

Since my freshman year of college serving as an intern through the ANRP program has always been a dream! Hearing from former interns during informationals about their incredible experiences and travels while working in D.C. always inspired me. So when I had the opportunity to work for my congressional representative, Kevin Brady, as a Press Intern I never would have imagined I would not make it to the capital. Due to pandemic and other personal circumstances I decided it would be best for me to transition to a remote setting for the semester.

While I’m working from Aggieland, I’ve still had the chance to work on a wide range tasks while remote and keeping me on my toes this semester to say the least. Here’s what a normal day working from home looks like for me:

• Wake up around 7am to get around and have a cup of coffee before starting on my daily reports and duties.
• After finishing my daily reports, I’ll usually take care of any work I have for my classes through Texas A&M.
• Since I am working remotely, I keep my laptop with me anywhere I go in case I get an assignment from anyone at the office and can stay up to date with work. I’ll make sure and take care of any additional assignments I have throughout the day. Some of the tasks I have done throughout the semester include transcribing and summarizing interviews, drafting newsletters and updates to constituents, and listening and taking notes in meetings and press conferences.
• I’ll wind down at the end of the day by checking local news sources for interesting activities and stories happening in the district for my weekly assignment of finding stories that are shared on the Congressman’s social media accounts or researching for my semester long research project.

Although this experience isn’t what I would have imagined it to be originally, I’m so grateful for the life and professional skills I’ve gained throughout my time working remote. It’s also been a blessing to be surrounded by the support of my family and friends with my increased workload and in dealing with the stresses of the pandemic. It also helped to have my “co-worker” Tortellini by my side while I’ve worked from home this semester. I would encourage anyone considering ANRP to make the best of the opportunity even it is only from home!

Grace Crow
Office of Congressman Kevin Brady
Washington, D.C. | fall 2020

This year has been a time of ups, downs, and absolute craziness. Whether it was a global pandemic, wildfires in California, Oregon, and Washington, or the presidential election, nothing this year has been predictable or average. Despite the setbacks of 2020, my internship this fall semester with the House Committee on Agriculture has been nothing short of amazing!

My name is Anna Lad, and I’m a master’s student currently studying Science and Technology Journalism here at Texas A&M, after graduating in May ’20 with a Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences degree. However, this semester, I was able to be part of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy (ANRP) internship program as a virtual intern.

During the months I’ve interned virtually for the Ag Committee, I’ve learned a bevy of new things. However, I think these five are the ones that will stick with me for years to come!

1. Don’t be afraid to Ask Questions! – Washington D.C. is a networking community. Most tasks, assignments, and jobs are all passed on via word-of-mouth. Because I’m a virtual intern, I have to be more intentional. This semester, I’ve learned to email people I’ve never met and ask for a 15-minute Zoom coffee, something that was pretty daunting at first. I make sure to be more attentive in meetings and briefings as well as ask questions right away. In non-Covid times, I could just swing by a person’s desk. Now, I make sure to cover all my bases or else the email chains get way too long!
2. Keep a Record of People You Meet – There are a lot of people in Washington D.C. You want to remember as many as possible – not because ‘she who networks the most wins’, but because most people are genuine fountains of knowledge and advice. If you have a terrible memory, like me – or even if you don’t – an address book or excel sheet is a great idea. In mine, I list everyone I’ve “met” with in virtual meetings, what we talked about, and when. That way, I can thank them for their time, follow up later, and keep tabs on my assignments. To be honest, it’s just great to put faces to names. The rapidly changing nature of the House this fall only makes it even more crucial to get to know everyone.
3. It’s OK if you get COVID-19! My supervisor and my coworkers were so understanding when I came down with coronavirus midway through October. Luckily, I had a mild case and was only out for a few days. Because I was virtual, I could return to the work-from-home life while my quarantine was still in effect.
4. Set up an Office Schedule & Area – It’s so important to be able to manage your time wisely, especially if you have a lot going on! I’m in an interesting spot because I’m interning part-time for the House Agriculture Committee, while starting grad school full time here at Texas A&M. I had to come up with some effective organization solutions really quickly. That included:

• • Time blocking my days for school and my internship
  • Doing ANRP work only at my desk (except when it’s nice outside!)
  • Reading up on background information in my spare time

5. Dress Up for Work – We’re all familiar with the pajama pants + dress shirt combination. That doesn’t mean it’s a good one, however. Putting on business casual clothes for my virtual meetings and projects helped me to get in the professional mindset. I’m not saying jacket and heels, but it was definitely a beneficial mental shift to prepare beforehand. Since virtual interns can’t commute to work, I think we miss out on the transition to that mindset. I’ve found that maintaining business casual clothes helps me get ready for working.

These are just a few of the lessons I’ve learned in the last few months in my internship with the House Committee on Agriculture.

What have your experiences working or interning during this pandemic taught you? What advice would you give to other students?

Anna Lad
House Committee on Agriculture
Washington, D.C. | fall 2020

If you were to tell me at the beginning of my freshman year in college that I would be interning in a congressional office after graduation, I would tell you that would absolutely never happen… BUT now you’re reading my ANRP blog post.

Fall 2016 was my first semester at Texas A&M, and the year I became registered to vote. In high school, I was oblivious to anything related to government, but starting college opened my eyes into the world of policy. I think it’s important the readers know that I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and plan to go to Dental School within the next couple of years. I thrived in STEM classes so I was not excited that I would have to take two political science classes in college. While taking these classes I was able to appreciate government and did a lot of personal growing up and realized that everyone is affected by government policies, and that you should care about what our political leaders are working on. After hearing about the ANRP Internship program I thought applying for it would be my next step in understanding the whole process of how things happen in Washington DC.

While being up here I was able to experience how a congressional office works, even in the midst of a pandemic. I also learned that congressional offices work continuously to improving their community and the lives of their constituents. It was also very memorable to be in our nation’s capital this past presidential election. Looking back at 2016, I regret not voting because that is the only thing we as citizens can do, especially as a woman it’s important that we practice this right that was given to us. I’m very hopeful for the future and can’t wait to continue falling in love with policy.

Zenaida Alamiz
Office of Congressman Filemon Vela
Washington, D.C. | fall 2020