Last week marked my last day with the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff in the U.S. House of Representatives as an LGBTQ+ Victory Institute Congressional Intern. This opportunity has meant the world to me. Through this internship, I have found a handful of mentors, developed dozens of professional connections, and fostered new friendships.
I gained experience in administrative and legislative operations through constituent services, memo writing, legislative research, and attending hearings. Additionally, I wrote two blog posts through the Victory Institute's "OUT on the Hill" blog. Though, as many in the office know, I was most proud of developing a scheme to organize and collect metadata from items in the office's storage unit—a tedious task meeting a type-A personality.
The people around me made this experience transformational. Thank you, Leilani Fletcher and Sarah Pope, for affording me this opportunity among the many qualified applicants and for administering Victory's Friday Programming. Without you two, a summer in DC would not have been possible. Thank you, Colin Kruse and the rest of the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff, for taking me under your wing and making this internship as enriching as possible. With the care and support of this office, I have expanded my professional horizons and worked in policy areas important to me. Thank you, Wesley Bizzell, Brett Ries, and Jocelyn Samuels, for mentoring me as I sought to make the most of my first foray into federal public service.
Finally, I want to thank my peers in the Victory Congressional Internship (Adrian Tristán, Annie Sheehan-Dean, Ashley Valois, Bhavyasri Suggula, Camille Cypher, Clare A'Hearn, Jack Bradley, Jayden Bodey, Jordana Hozman, Kaylyn Walker, Kylan Bartel, Larissa Strong, Logan Kaelin, Matteo Busterna, and Tyler Harding) and the Interns of the Office of Congressman Adam Schiff (Emily Luna, Zoe Gittelson, Faith Florez, Melina Rafferty, Isabel Arroyo) for serving as inspiration this summer.
I would not have believed you if you had told me one year ago that this summer was possible. The experiences and friendships I have had this summer will propel me through life.
Until next time, DC.
