Washington

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

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.

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!