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
