Blog – Page 8

Once in a lifetime

3Mar

Today Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu came to speak in front of a joint session in Congress. While it may have been of some controversy, Congressman Vela agreed to attend and with that, a guest ticket was allocated to him. Never did I think he would offer ME his guest ticket, but he did, and I was on my way to hear Prime Minister Netanyahu address Congress. The room gave a warm welcome to Netanyahu as he made his way down the center of the aisle, shaking hands of Congressmen. This man that newspapers and media have been debating about for weeks was finally here, and I was in his presence. My seat was behind the Speaker’s Chair and to the right in the gallery, so throughout the speech I only had the visual of the room’s responses to Netanyahu. His speech proved to be strong and powerful, with the whole House standing up cheering him on more times than I can count throughout the hour. He gave a great speech and I enjoyed every minute of it. Regardless of your stance on the Prime Minister’s visit, he is a powerful and important man. I am so grateful to the Congressman for allowing me a ticket to see this once in a lifetime speech.

Krystyn Krafka

Congressman Filemon Vela

Washington, D.C. – Spring 2015

Never a dull moment in Austin

2Feb

It has been an incredible time so far at the Capitol these past few weeks. It is hard to believe that it has only been a month since I arrived in Austin and a few weeks of working in the Capitol. So much has happened that it feels, in a positive way, that I have been here for months. From the Governor’s Inauguration Ball (we saw Lady Antebellum and Pat Green!) to the little things like bonding with my office staff, there is never a dull moment here in Austin.

As far as the governmental side of things go, I am definitely being thrown into a new world and gaining hands on experience that is far greater than I could have imagined. My primary responsibilities include scheduling for the Senator, administrative duties around the office, and interacting with constituents and lobbyists–as I am the front face of the office. Scheduling can be difficult and consumes most of my day, but I feel important making sure the Senator’s schedule is in order and helping out my fellow team members so that we all can have a successful session. Due to these responsibilities taking all of my attention, I am not as heavily involved in the legislative process. However, being at the front desk, I overhear much conversation regarding different bills being introduced and drafted, topics of the various meetings the Senator is to be a part of, and my co-workers and I discuss a variety of controversial topics that are the main focus of our constituent calls. Wit h this being said, I do receive a more indirect introduction into our legislative process and feel this is a great way for me to learn more about our state government.

There is so much newness to this experience that I am glad that there is a large group of interns to experience it with. We have gone to receptions together, went out to movies, attended church together, experienced different Austin cuisine, and even had hang out nights at each other’s apartments. It is nice to come together as a group and be able to share experiences with each other and feel that we can relate.

I feel that this experience will only grow increasingly interesting, fun, maybe stressful, and new, but will serve each of us differently on our paths to success in the future.

Erin Carney

Senator Van Taylor

Spring 2015 Austin, Texas

Unexpected Lessons

13Nov

It’s now Week 6 in DC at the National Corn Growers Association Office!

This internship experience has been great not only because of the experiences and learning opportunities, but I’ve learned a lot about myself and my family as well. Before I left, my dad (who is a career firefighter/flight paramedic) taught me about some of the technical farming topics I might encounter that were being used in the neighborhood. He grew up on a farm near Enola (north of Madison, NE) where we’ve recently had some baby calves. My grandpa (on my dad’s side), Leland Nelson, was one of the first members on the pork check-off board a very long time ago. Needless to say, my internship has brought out some very cool stories about the family that I didn’t know.

NCGA is involved in pollination issues as well, which was another odd strike of luck for me. I grew up assisting my dad’s beekeeping operation. Not only would I suit up and help tend the bees, but I helped extract and sell the honey. I’m not sure which is worse, detassling corn or extracting honey (yes, I did both). Because I’ve been away at college for five years (and was a busy high school kid before that) I haven’t done anything with the bees for a long time. Not to mention sad losses of bees at home and nationwide. My dad’s knowledge of the issues facing beekeepers nationwide has been a great resource for my knowledge about the issue with regards to my internship. He was previously a State Bee Inspector, and illustrated the very issues that were recently briefed on Capitol Hill.

When I left Nebraska as a country kid (not a farm kid), I thought that my lack of farming experience would put me behind quite a bit. What I learned instead (and found to be a truly valuable lesson), is that it takes all kinds to complete the necessary knowledge in an organization.

– Morgan Nelson, Public Policy Internship Program

First Day of Sight Seeing and Work in Rome, Italy!

23Sep

Insights into the first few days of interning with the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) at the United Nations in Rome, Italy. Copied with permission for Kerstin Alander’s personal blog.

Yesterday was my first official day at the FAO headquarters.

I still can’t believe it.

I woke up very early and the mother of the house dropped me off at a coffeehouse so I could buy a bus pass. She explained everything to me very well and I had no problem getting a ticket! I took the bus for a bit and then got on the metro! The only other subway system I have been on was in New York and this was a lot different. The main difference was that in New York they had announcements for the stops and scrolling bulletins on the stops. Here you have to watch because there are few announcements and no bulletins. The subways themselves are also heavily marked with graffiti.
It was almost pretty in a sense.

Look what you see as soon as you walk out of the station! It’s the UN flag!!!!

Since I left the house so early I got to the headquarters a little over half an hour before I was supposed to arrive! You know what that means? I finally got to do some sightseeing. Although I was in a three piece suit so I wasn’t super comfortable, haha. I walked around the Circo Massimo, which in English is Circus of Maxentius. In ancient Rome it was a circus, most well-known for its chariot races. Now people use it to walk their dogs and jog, but more of it has been excavated over the past few years.

Finally it came time for me to start my first day! I was all butterflies as I went through security and gave them my passport. One of the HR reps met me at the gates and gave me a tour of the building. This place is a maze! It used to be several separate buildings, but over the years they have connected them. That means one minute you are in building B, than you turn a corner and are in building F! Everyone who works here is incredibly nice. For those of you who don’t know UN staff is very diverse, with only so many staff members allowed from each donating nation. Fun fact, because the US doesn’t donate that much to the FAO there are very few permanent staff members from the USA. Crazy huh? The scientist who I am directly under is extremely nice, and so is the other member of the GLEWS I met today. They had me join them at lunch in the cafeteria on the 8th floor. Let me just tell you- THE VIEW! It’s amazing. The FAO is open to visitors so if you are in Rome, come to the FAO to get some pictures. You can see the Coliseum, Vatican City, and Circo Massimo to name just a few.

It’s super cool. One of these days I want to come at night when it is all light up. So then I started on the way to Termini Station. That’s when I made my first mistake. Rome is a very crazily built city with everything on top of itself and the streets are not labeled as well as in the US. So I quickly got lost. It wasn’t too terrible; I got to see some really cool normal buildings. People were also very friendly, and if you just said Termini they would point in the direction. The issue was roads that slowly split and I either didn’t realize my street was now a different one or I couldn’t find the street name. I eventually got to Termini after a several hour zigzag path. I did get to see the The Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore during my adventure as the clueless tourist though!

A Hollywood Moment

21Aug

There’s something about being a political science major in Washington D.C. that just makes my heart sing. The sighting of a Congressman, on either side of the aisle, is akin to a teenager passing by Justin Bieber in Hollywood. For me, walking the halls of the Supreme Court or the Capitol is far superior to the glamour of the red carpet. However, there is more to D.C. than the Congress, the Court, and the Commander in Chief. Our nation’s capital is the heart of policy and advocacy. Hundreds of associations, representing everything from dairy farmers to university presidents, work throughout the city to influence the formation of laws and regulations and provide expertise on a variety of subjects. The work of the associations often requires regular gatherings of their members, in order to discuss the important pieces of legislation, regulation, and news that will affect their organizations. For those with interests in either the dairy farmers or the educators, these meetings are the perfect opportunity to meet your own celebrities. While others may not recall the faces and names of the attendees at these gatherings, you likely know their life story!

As an intern at the Association of Public & Land-grant Universities, I was able to sit in on one of these gatherings. The university presidents of APLU’s member organizations convened in D.C for a daylong meeting. While this meeting may not have excited everyone, I have been doing research at Texas A&M University, as an undergraduate research assistant with the Project for Equity, Representation, and Governance on management in higher education. I have spent hours researching a variety of university officials, including presidents and chancellors. I have read about their lives, backgrounds, and accomplishments. Consequently, seeing these university presidents was somewhat of a Hollywood moment! Just as an avid movie goer could point out their favorite actor or actress, I was mentally noting the presidents I had spent so much time learning about. It was a wonderful opportunity to be a fly on the wall in such a meeting and get to brush shoulders with such VIPs. Thank you to PPIP and APLU for providing me with this experience and the chance to be surrounded by the issues, people, and policies I find so interesting.

—Claire Stieg, 2014

Association of Public & Land-grant Universities

Claire Stieg is a member of the ANRP Internship Program sister experience called the Public Policy Internship Program.

My Time in Roma

10Jul

Howdy! My name is Marea Pappas and I am interning in Rome, Italy this summer with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Rome is a huge, vibrant city with so much history. Every day I get to walk by the Colosseum on my way to work leaving me constantly in awe! It is very surreal seeing ancient ruins as part of my daily routine here in Rome.

Working at FAO has been great so far! I am learning quite a bit about how an international organization conducts business at such a high level. I am working with the livestock information, sector analysis and policy branch. I’ve spent most of my time thus far researching for my project. I am focusing on the contribution of smallholder livestock production systems to poverty reduction and economic growth – with specific emphasis on the potential impact of any ‘second generation exit’ effect. I also interact with many animal health interns, which has taught me a lot about the one health concept.

I have enjoyed every minute of my time spent here in Italy travelling, meeting new people, and learning about the culture. There is so much I have already accomplished, yet there is still so much left that I want to do in Italy!

An Aggie Hill-tern

19Jun

Howdy! My name is Derek McKee, and I am currently interning for Senator John Cornyn on Capitol Hill.

As a fellow “hill-tern,” a term respectfully given to us by our peers, I have the pleasure of working in the capitol every day. Every morning, when I am walking past the Library of Congress, The Supreme Court, and The Capitol itself, I am plainly in awe. I think about the opportunity that has presented itself and how blessed I have been to be a part of the PPIP program – sister program to ANRP.

I also realized the sheer amazingness of the Texas A&M network. I have over six Aggies in my office alone. We are very present in the nation’s capitol, and I could not have asked for a more welcoming experience. Above, you can see the Capitol as I walk to work each day. The beautiful dome, also known as 8.9 million pounds of cast-iron according to my tour-guide training, stands far above all. It is a physical representation of the freedom we enjoy as Americans. I have loved every second of my time on the hill.

Who knows? I may never go back to Texas.

Lobbying 101 in Washington, D.C.

11Jun

For many, the word lobbying conjures up images of back rooms and cigar smoke, back slaps and bags of money. Those images are far from the truth. Casting your ballot in the voting booth may be the most fundamental of democratic acts, but talking to your elected official—lobbying–is the indispensable next step.

Current interns joined the Texas A&M University System for a Lobbying 101 professional development session on Tuesday, June 10th 2014.

Washington, D.C. through the eyes of a Texan

22Jun

Howdy! My name is Kasey Lettunich and I am an Aggie working up on the hill in Washington, D.C. I work for the office of the Honorable John “Judge” Carter from the 31st District in Texas.

Judge’s district ranges all the way from Stephenville to Round Rock and parts of Austin. After three weeks of living in D.C., I have decided that I get along with the East Coast. I love the people that I work with and I get along with the fellow interns. During my first week on the job, Judge hosted a “Texas Two Step” reception to help get support for his re-election. I was also able to go to a briefing dealing with Agriculture, and I got to tour around the Capitol.

The next week I went to tour training, and I am proud to say that I am an awesome tour guide now. Maggie, another Aggie in the office, gave the other interns and me a tour of the House floor and then we went to the Speaker’s Balcony…it was beautiful. Below is a picture of Allison (middle), McKenzie (right), and myself hanging out on the balcony. Allison is a sophomore at the University of Arizona and McKenzie is a junior at Texas Tech University…I won’t hold that against her.

Needless to say, my D.C. adventure is going really great so far! Keep posted for more posts from me!