Name: Eric Davis

Hometown: Phoenix, Arizona

Major: Political Science

Engagement Track: Leadership

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Summer Internship in Washington D.C.

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My EDGE project was an internship for Congressman Chris Stewart in Washington D.C. this summer. I lived in Arlington, Virginia during my time there, which lasted from May 2nd until August 6th. I traveled to and from work on the D.C. metro and was fortunate enough to be reimbursed for the money I spent on transportation.  When Congress was in session, meaning that various bills were being presented on the House Floor, we would work from 9am to 6pm. When we were out of session we only worked until 5pm, however some days they would let the interns out earlier so that we could enjoy the various places to visit in our nation's Capitol. 

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My general responsibilities while I was an intern were to answer constituent phone calls and respond to letters that they sent in when they had a concern. I also gave Capitol tours to constituents that came to visit. I loved giving Capitol tours because I have always enjoyed talking about history. I was also able to work on various projects for the legislative staff, for example I was tasked with calling all of the high schools in our Congressional district to obtain names and addresses of Seniors who were graduating so that the Congressman could write them a letter congratulating them. I was also tasked with going to a number of Congressional briefings that discussed important issues to the Congressman and his staff, and then I would write a report summary of what was discussed. 

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I was first inspired to pursue an internship in Washington D.C. when I was working in Philadelphia one summer. I had a good friend who was an intern for Senator Orin Hatch and he invited me to visit him and he would show me around. At the time, I didn't really love my summer job, and when I went to D.C. and saw all of the history I immediately felt like I wanted to go back and work there for a time. I have also always been very interested in American history and so working in our nation's Capitol was the opportunity of a lifetime. After I applied and was told I got the internship, I was ecstatic. 

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Many of the challenges I faced as an intern had to do with finding the right information. At first it was finding my way around the various Senate and House offices as well as the Capitol. I was also challenged with finding information on obscure topics such as the regulation on work visas to the Northern Mariana Islands or how tax credits for geothermal providers were going to expire at the end of this year. At times, working with the other interns who didn't always get along with each other, was a challenge that I faced. I feel that I was able to gain greater communication and information skills as a result of the challenges that I faced.

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My project was able to benefit others through several different ways. I feel that I was able to help a lot of people, especially kids, who visited the Captiol to gain a greater appreciation for the history that that building holds. It was always a pleasure to see how someones face would light up when I told them of different historical facts or stories that aren't commonly found in textbooks. The letters I wrote with the different questions and concerns I was able to help answer benefited various constituents within Congressman Stewarts district. The help I provided to Rep. Stewarts staff in various ways was a benefit to them as well.

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When it comes the benefits that I was able receive through this project, I feel that I had an amazing experience and gained various skills. Along with the different hard skills that I gained from working a Congressional office, I gained invaluable connections that will most definitely help me in the future. For instance, the chief of staff that I worked with, Brian Steed, is going to write me a letter of recommendation for law school. I have also been able to use the knowledge that I gained from my internship in my political science classes when we discuss different aspects of the legislature.