It's still a work in progress, but here's the link to my IPOL: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1FlEc53L6qZf7utf7AH-JuHxbdih1sqhbl78jzoIffbk/edit?usp=sharing
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POL Section 1—Your work as an intern Reflect on the following list of questions to guide a thoughtful reflection about your internship experience and project(s). Be descriptive and display evidence(s) for your answers. 1. How did you make a meaningful contribution to your workplace?
5. What did you learn about yourself through working on the internship project(s)?
POL Section 2—Your ideas about life outside of high school 1. What new appreciations did you develop while working as an intern? Why?
As you might have heard, the east coast got hammered with snow, and me, being a lucky Californian, I was bunkered down in my apartment for the whole weekend. It was kind of nerve-wracking, having an idea that the storm might last for an entire week and knowing that my provisions might run out before the storm was done. Thankfully, the storm only lasted for about two days and I had enough food to last. I was surprised by Washington D.C.’s resilience towards the cold as the city regained it's streets from the cold clutches of the white blanket and civilization, just like that, reopened. Having lived through this blizzard, I have realized how lucky I am to live in California where the athletic opportunities are almost infinite due to the perfect weather. Today was my first day back at the gym, and it was hard for me to get my body moving again because I was relatively a couch potato for two days, something I never really feel living in San Diego. On my list of life skills, learning to live through a blizzard is now one of them. Internship is not like school, so it’s difficult for me to come up with ideas that can be replicated in our classrooms. In my job we are given a lot of freedom to come and go as we please and are left to prioritize our own work, and in a lot of ways, HTHI already gives us that responsibility.
What I’ve appreciated about internship is the ability to decide when I want to go to lunch. Again, not realistic for school, but it is nice to be able to decide I want to have lunch at 11 or that I want to work through ‘lunch’ and take it later. I would school feel more like a workplace. What I mean by that is changing the environment so it functions more like a job. One thing I could maybe see would be instead of having one timeline for a project for the whole class, have one deadline for the whole project, and each student can work at their own pace. I recognize that in a perfect world students would be held entirely accountable for their performance, but often times it’s the teacher who is held accountable, and so the whole ‘let the kids work at their own pace’ isn’t necessarily practical. There are some things I prefer about school over internship. Internship is much more stressful than school. I like structure as much as the next guy, and I sometimes even like when a teacher gives me specific deadlines, but I don’t necessarily think it’s conducive to our learning and growing if a teacher is always doing that. Regardless of what I think, it’s important to note that I am one kind of student. I am not every student. However, at some point we are all going to have to grow up, and I’d rather do that now in high school than later in college. I am much more comfortable with less hand-holding. Now that I’m nearing the end of my internship, I am less afraid of what the next semester holds because I’ve managed to conquer the unknown of internship. Some of the skills I will bring back with me won’t exactly transfer (like political writing), but I see them as an additional tool in my toolbox. What will transfer, is my confidence in myself and my ability to adapt. When I started this internship, I didn’t know how to write a political memo from a briefing I sat in on, but I conquered it relatively easily. Junior year has been the most difficult so far, but I am ready to tackle second semester. I think I also have a better sense of time management. Many of the skills I have learned over the last couple of weeks have been life skills. How to grocery shop for myself and how to schedule my dry cleaning and still fit in time to go to the gym and do my blog post. Those individual skills though all lend themselves to better time management, and that’s something I will use next semester, as well as the rest of my life. I commented on Connor's, Chris', and Savannah's Blogs. I'm happy to report that everyone seems passionately invested in their internship. Connor's blog details that he is driven to succeed in his internship through learning important skills such as time management and communication. Chris is pursuing his passion of web design willingly pushing himself to learn new languages of code. Savannah is thrilled living in Chicago snow. The costumes she's creating are coming together and she's getting her work done efficiently while at the same time enjoying her responsibilities.
One thing to note is that my intern experience is a lot less ‘let me take you by the hand and show you how to do the work’ like school sometimes is and a lot more like ‘here’s the keys, now drive the car.’ They give you instructions. I go several hours on end working on things solo and don’t nearly as much ask questions or have somebody constantly checking on me. If I want to ask questions or set up a meeting, I have to initiate that myself. The same philosophy goes for lunch breaks and attending a weekly briefing. It’s up to me to voice whether I want to do something or whether I need direction on something.
In the previous paragraph I mentioned working at my internship is a lot less guided. This increases the pressure and increases the responsibility aspect of my internship. As far as the work is concerned, the day is obviously longer than a regular school day. This being said, a lot of my responsibilities so far have been sitting at a desk for X amount of hours staring at a computer screen all day with less structure for breaks and this is another way the responsibility falls on me. It’s up to me to voice whether I deserve a break or whether I should spend the entire day staring at the computer screen. It is definitely an adjustment that it will take some time getting used to. To be honest, it kind of drives me nuts to spend all day in a chair staring at the computer screen. It’s kind of ironic that I want to be a writer which would require me to sit at a computer for long periods of time, but with writing a story, it comes from my brain. It isn’t necessarily something I have to Google search. I have found that research, in and of itself, is frustrating, and that it’s so much more interesting to research things that are interesting to me. I think knowing these things, I will probably not pursue a job that requires lots of open-ended questioning and that relies more on my own thoughts and ideas with some supplemental research (kind of like my last short story where the idea came from my head, and I only had to research a small amount concerning brain chemistry). Hopefully, more confidence in myself, because I can tell you that doing internship is way harder than school itself. In my humble opinion. There’s less coddling and more stress on your performance than anything else. Sometimes, in the old American culture, if a student fails a class, it falls on the teacher to get a student to get a passing grade. In real life, no one cares if you fail, it’s all on you. That’s nerve-wracking. It is scary for all the weight to be on my shoulders with a very limited safety net. I am working on it slowly though, and feel like I am learning to self-advocate more in regards to reaching out more and manage my own time. As my internship is astronomically far away from San Diego, I am learning a plethora of life skills as life is being flung at me. I learned how to navigate the grocery store. I figured out how to structure my time to get to the grocery store, and plan my meals out. I’ve learned it falls on me 100% if I’m going to put the effort in to prepare a meal or whether I’m going to take the easy way out and eat peanuts for dinner. I am responsible for following through on taking care of my body since I don’t have my normal PT sessions. That’s not a traditional life skill that people learn, but for me it’s essential. I have to remember my leg exercises so that I’m prepared for tennis season when I come back to school. In managing my own time, I’ve discovered it’s easier to go to bed earlier and get up earlier to prepare myself for the day. I know it sounds like heresy to say arriving on time to my internship is more important than arriving on time to school, but to me it is. I want to make sure I am making a good impression. Also, and this is a personal accomplishment, but today marks the first day I did my own laundry. THAT is a life skill! I haven’t had my mom to help me with laundry but today I mastered the washing machine, and in about 15 minutes I’ll master the dryer. And tonight I’ll sleep in a clean bed! My time management and communication skills have gone through the roof as I plan to pick up dry cleaning and schedule groceries being dropped off and organizing tutoring sessions and finding time for Sunday mass and the gym. All on top of a busy day at work. All in all, internship has been a great learning experience. My project is deciding a bill that the Congressman should co-sponsor. I have chosen bill H.R.2612 which would authorize the appropriation of funds to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun prevention violence.
In terms of gun control, I’ve never really seen any reporters or analysts report on the psychological aspects of why mass shootings like Sandy Hook and Columbine happen. I wanted to focus on approaching a gun control solution that wasn’t just your average ‘I’m going to take away your guns’ approach. I believe that the Second Amendment should be upheld, but I do believe we need to take a closer look at the relationship between mental health and mass shootings. Although it may not solve every problem with mass shootings, I do think there are some valid points to be made about psychological testing for individuals who are going to purchase guns. The biggest component of this project will be doing the research, but then I will compile all of my research into a comprehensive document that will be considered for review by Congressman Lieu. At this point in time I have looked at examples of how prior interns have presented their facts, found sources to give me background information concerning gun violence, and have done a LOT of reading. These are just a few of the sites that have given me usable information:
My next steps will be formatting the information I’ve found in the format of a memorandum that covers the background of the topic and the bill and includes bulleted points concerning who sponsored the bill and what the pros and cons might be. I work from 9-5:30, Monday through Friday. I have a desk that I work at that that is structured so it feels like a cubicle, but I don’t have my own cubicle. I usually bring my school computer but there are also two monitors that are on the desk. There’s a phone to my right and I have your traditional rolly chair.
The room is cluttered with uniform desks all of which have the same amenities as mine and sit atop a strikingly red carpet. You only know whose desk is whose because of the small personalizations. Sometimes it’s a note on a whiteboard or a Star Wars coffee mug on the desk (like Jack has). There are coat racks because it’s D.C. and everyone has coats. My room is part of the whole office. The office as a whole contains a receptionist/waiting room that has a black couch. If you go to the left of the receptionist desk, you get to my office. If you go to the right, you get to Congressman Lieu’s office, and it’s the biggest part of the office for an individual person (as you would expect). In my portion of the office it’s fairly relaxed (for a political office). We have a fridge to the left and a supply of Girl Scout cookie order forms and funny pictures of the staffers. There’s also a dispenser for water that provides both hot and cold water. Everybody in the office uses the dispenser a lot. The bottom line is that sometimes there’s phones going off every five seconds with the generic, digital, office-phone ring, and always at least one voice saying “Hello, this is Congressman’s Lieu’s office. How may I help you?” and a constant clicking of mice and clacking of keyboards. It’s never quiet in the office. The Washington Post is a big thing in the office and you can always hear paper turning as people keep up to date. There are also two televisions in the office. One in my office and one in the waiting room. They are always turned on, mostly to networks like CNN. There’s never any sound though; we just have the subtitles on. The only time we turn the sound on is when Congressman Lieu is on giving a statement. The biggest thing from the last three days has been that you’re expected to remember a lot and it happens very quickly. They have great confidence in me already, but that in and of itself can be a little unnerving. It’s almost intimidating, but it does push me to succeed in each task. For example, there’s been a lot of logistics. We have to navigate several buildings (Cannon House to Rayburn to Longworth and the Capitol) and so it’s been something I’ve had to work on to balance how much time it will take me to get somewhere. For example, knowing just how long it will take me to get to Longworth if I need to be there at 10:30 because I need to utilize my time as wisely as possible.
Another big component of my week has been learning to be courteous. I’ve been learning basic phone call etiquette like having a memorized greeting and how to screen calls to make sure I get them to the right person. A good rule of thumb is that when you’re answering the phone (even in general) is imagine the other person on the line is Congressman Lieu, and that kind of implores you to be polite as possible. The briefings you have to pay attention to the most, especially when it’s on a subject you are not as familiar with, because ultimately you’re going to be writing a memorandum detailing the legislative proposal and the challenges presented by their proposal. I have gone to one briefing so far (we’re expected to go to at least one a week), and it was on the aforementioned challenges regarding the taking (or rather, not taking, in this case) of prescription medicine. Since my internship is taking place approximately 3,000 miles away, a day trip for a site visit wasn't practical, to say the least. In lieu of the visit, on Thursday I emailed the intern coordinator for Congressman Lieu (see what I did there?), Elizabeth. I included the following questions, and am currently waiting for a detailed response. Update: The following responses from Congressman Lieu's office are now included below in italics. As for my project, I have been informed that I will be working closely with Jack, the Communications Director, on developing a project once I arrive. 1) What is a typical workday like? A typical workday largely depends on a staffer’s position. For myself, I arrive in the office at 9:00 a.m. and read through emails and then sort letters from constituents. Throughout the day, I’ll write letters to constituents from the Congressman. Additionally, if Congress is considering legislation in one of my issue areas, I will research the bill, contact other groups and offices, and make a vote recommendation. I also attend briefings, meet with staffers from other offices, and meet with interest groups from the district. Other staffers might spend more time working at the front desk performing administrative tasks or completing press projects. On the Hill it is common for staffers to move up the ranks, typically beginning as a staff assistant (like a receptionist) and moving up to the legislative team to take on more substantive responsibility (most staffers actually start out as interns). 2) What are the Congressman's main duties and responsibilities? 3) How does the Congressman structure his time between his multiple offices? Could you give me a brief overview of the Congressman's support staff? Congressman Lieu typically spends three weeks per month in Washington, D.C. On days he is in Washington, he divides his time between attending committee hearings, Member meetings, and briefings. He will also meet with representatives from organizations with ties to the 33rd district and spend time meeting with staff to talk about various issues. Finally, Mr. Lieu may give speeches, conduct press interviews, and vote on legislation. Suffice to say, in-session days are extremely busy for the Congressman and his staff. 4) I know that the Congressman attended Stanford and Georgetown, but how did he come to decide he wanted to be involved in politics and what was the path that led to him obtaining his current position? Congressman Lieu attended Stanford University where he received his bachelor’s degree in political science and computer science. He later went on to attend Georgetown Law where he also served as the Editor-in-Chief of the school’s law review. However, his commitment to public service largely began during his Air Force career. While in the Air Force, Mr. Lieu served as a JAG and he is currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the Air Force Reserves. He has worked in private law and served on the Torrance City Council and in the CA State Assembly and Senate. He began his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2015. 5) How did you come to serve in the Congressman's office as a Legislative Correspondent? So far, do you enjoy serving as the intern coordinator? I began working in Congressman Lieu’s office in January 2015. I am originally from the South Bay and wanted to work for a representative from Los Angeles. I’d worked as a fellow for Senator Donnelly before being hired and had also interned for Rep. Hahn during college. I think that serving as intern coordinator is a very rewarding experience. It’s great to watch students come into our office and learn about the legislative process and various issues. It’s also interesting to learn their perspectives. 6) What qualifications do employees need to be successful here and how are those qualifications acquired? I believe that successful interns share the same traits as successful staffers. This is a very fast-paced and high-pressure environment so it is essential to be organized, able to multi-task, remain poised, and be willing to take on a variety of tasks. Expertise in a particularly area is also useful, but what is very important is being able to learn quickly. You’ll often be expected to read about a complex issue and explain it in a more comprehensible manner. Strong writing skills are a must! 7) What other personality traits, skills, or knowledge are important to be successful here? 8) What advice do you have about working here? To prepare for the internship I’d recommend reading through Congressman Lieu’s website, particularly the press releases, to see what issues the office is working on. I’d also make sure you’re staying updated on current events (check out Politico, the Hill, and Roll Call publications). Finally, during the internship have a positive attitude, work hard, and be proactive. I am hopeful that my project can incorporate legislative writing (I like to dream big), however I will wait to talk to Elizabeth and the Congressman before anything gets set in stone. I will update this blog post when I receive my answers! Blog Post 2Well, tomorrow's the official FIRST BIG DAY of Internship. What are you most excited about your internship and why? And at the same time, what are you most nervous about and why? I'm most excited about meeting Congressman Lieu and Elizabeth Arevalo. I'm eager to introduce them to my strengths in writing and public speaking. The prospect of working on Capitol Hill is an honor and a privilege. I'm thrilled to be introduced to the professional and historical atmosphere it admits. As this is the first time I'm working in a political setting I'm nervous about the fast-paced environment of a congressional office. Why I am nervous about working in such an environment is because it requires me to refine my time management and organizational skills. These two skills have never come easily to me, but I'm hopeful that through the course of my internship I shall adopt the methods of my office mates and come out a more time efficient and organized individual. Blog Post 3January 7th: First Impressions ( Blog response due by 10 pm)
Provide a detailed reflection of your first impressions thus far at your internship site. Be sure to address:
I have been doing a lot of researching and writing. I have been reading over protocols and getting acquainted with the building layout. I went to my first briefing today regarding health and economic concerns when people do not adhere to their prescribed medications and typed up a memo. I am also researching bills about gun control (I have three in consideration right now) that ultimately I will present to Congressman Lieu with the goal of his co-sponsoring it. As far as new skill sets that I know I’ll need to work on, I know I’ll need to get used to speaking up and asking questions after the briefings have adjourned. I will also have to focus on writing more concisely. I enjoy using lots of descriptors when I write, but political writing requires a level of brevity that I will have to get used to. I have enjoyed the friendliness of my office-mates, both my fellow interns (although I have only met one for the time being) and those guiding me (Elizabeth and Julian, in particular, who have been very helpful). I also really enjoy showing up to work in suit. There is a level of importance that comes with this internship and with every day that passes I feel like I’m working towards completing something meaningful. The things I dislike don’t relate to my job, per se. I do worry about getting lost in the Capitol (and I might have, but just for a little bit). I hate when I think I am going to the Cannon House, but in reality I end up at Rayburn, which are both the same type of building and are actually connected by underground tunnels, but are two separate places. All in all, a positive first impression, but I am still just in the first mile of my internship marathon. |
Will K.I'm interning for Congressman Ted Lieu, Representative for California's 33rd District. As an intern some of my responsibilities shall consist of giving tours around the Capitol Building to guests and helping craft legislative writing. Archives-Categories- |