U.S. House of Representatives- District Office of Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

Organization: U.S. House of Representatives- District Office of Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney

City: New York, NY

Unpaid

This internship opened my eyes to the world of politics and made me realize that people work too hard and make too little in this field.  I learned a lot throughout my time at the office, particularly about writing congressional correspondence and dealing with constituents.  The various people that worked at the office were mostly friendly, though they were stressed out the majority of the time.  My proudest accomplishment during this internship was writing several pieces to be put in the Congressional Record.  That was pretty cool.  However, they had trouble keeping me busy, and the days often passed very slooooowly.  I think part of that was being at Rep. Maloney’s Disrict Office, where she usually isn’t.  The thing I really didn’t like about the internship though was that Rep. Maloney never once spoke to me.  I was never introduced to her, though I worked there for a whole semester and saw her at the office several times.  I felt underappreciated and that she was kind of rude.  Otherwise, it was a good glimpse into what being a legislative staffer is like.

U.S. House of Representatives- Office of Rep. Robert Matsui

Organization: U.S. House of Representatives, Honorable Robert Matsui (deceased)

City: Washington, D.C.

Paid

In the summer of 2002 I was selected to serve as a Congressional Page representing Congressman Robert Matsui. It was a once in a lifetime experience.  The position is usually reserved for juniors and seniors in high school.  While on the job, I was positioned in the rear of the house floor, behind the democrats.  When a call came in, one of the Pages [there was about 20 of us on the Democratic side, 50 on the Republican side(2002)] would deliver a message, flag, or package to a Congressman’s office. These offices were NOT located in the Capitol, but in buildings that were connected by an underground tunnel.  I would describe the work as “fun” and “memorable”.

I was offered the position because of my involvement in CIVITAS, which is public service oriented program.  Some students are offered an entire semester of Page employment.  They attend school in the morning and then work in the Capitol in the afternoon.  The experience was amazing, and I would encourage anyone who’s interested to check it out.  All you have to do is get in touch with your Congressman or Congresswoman and inquire.  It’s a great way to learn what’s actually going on in Washington.