I’m proud to say that after these first couple weeks I’m finally getting comfortable in D.C. A city that has been growing on me quickly. I’ve already had the opportunity to explore so many cool places and meet so many incredible people and it’s only the beginning! I can’t wait to see what else my summer in DC and at EMILY’s List has in store for me.
As I mentioned previously, I’ve been interning at EMILY’s List, a political action committee (PAC) that aims to help elect pro-choice female Democratic to office. EMILY’s List in located near Dupont Circle in DC. It’s a great neighborhood filled with delicious restaurants (where an unfortunate portion of my money goes) and fun things to do (I love working out at a Yoga studio near the office)!
At EMILY’s List I work as a Major Gifts intern. So day by day I get a variety of task assigned to my throughout the day by my lovely supervisors Michelle and Danny. A typical day consists of tasks such as data entry into a database, doing research on donors and sending out thank you notes to our donors.
Overall, I really enjoy the work I do there. I learn so much from it and I’m becoming very comfortable with the various databases we are taught to work with at EMILY’s List. Ifthere is any work I have an issue with I am encouraged to bring it up to my supervisors and they are happy to help me out! Plus I do all my work sitting with a group of other interns my age so we have the opportunity to talk to and learn from one another.
I learned about EMILY’s List when I first started looking into Summer internships. I knew I wanted to be in DC and somehow be involved in politics. I did some research about EMILY’s List once I realized it was exactly the type of internship I was looking for and began to reach out to my friends and family asking if they knew anyone who worked there or knew about the organization who I could talk to and learn from. One of my best friends older brother’s used to work there and he gave me the names of some of the people who worked there who I could reach out to.
I emailed the people well before the application was even put out in order to learn more about the internship program directly from the staff. First off, this was super helpful to me because I understood exactly what I was applying for and what I would be doing there and I think that proactivity of reaching out early helped me stand out as a candidate.
My immediate impression of EMILY’s List was so positive. Everyone was so warm and welcoming and helped me feel comfortable. I am encouraged to ask questions and reach out to my supervisors and other staff members about requests or concerns I may have. Everyone here has been beyond helpful in helping me get as much as I can out of this internship, and I know this will be a huge step in the right direction for any of my future career prospects.
I plan on fully taking advantage of working in such an amazing city and working with smart and experienced people these next few weeks. My goals for the rest of this summer are to reach out to as many people as I can and take advantage of my time in the city. I hope to gain knowledge in DC that I will not be able to anywhere else in order to make the most of my time here!