The idea of interning with a state senator or representative first came to my mind when I was enrolled in American Political Institutions. Throughout the duration of this course, I was assigned the task of writing a case study on a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Throughout the course, I found myself spending far more time than necessary learning about the ins and outs of the representative I had chosen, Greg Steube.To gain additional insight into the political world, I scheduled an online interview with one of Steube’s staffers from the D.C. office. From this conversation, I was exposed to a new perspective of politics and public service, and I learned that this was a career that I could see myself pursuing in the future. Additionally, I had the opportunity to visit the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines as a field trip. During this visit, I experienced state politics in action and was able to speak with multiple representatives.
As the final week of class unfolded, I applied for an internship with Senator Grassley’s office. With my professor’s assistance, I completed the application, and a month later, I was invited to an interview at the Cedar Rapids U.S. Courthouse. Here, I interviewed with Senator Grassley’s Cedar Rapids office, as well as the Davenport office via telephone. The following week, I received a call from the Davenport office, notifying me that I was selected for the summer internship! Interning in Davenport allows me to live at home and spend time with my family, all while gaining valuable experience from the internship. While I am familiar with the city of Davenport, I have not explored downtown. Friday morning I visited a coffee shop called The Brewed Book!
I am thrilled for this internship and the experiences that I will gain over the summer! Since the internship is unpaid and full-time, I applied for Ingenuity in Action funding administered through the Berry Career Institute. I am thankful for the funding that Cornell has provided, as this sum is helpful with everyday expenses like gas.
Not wasting any time, my internship officially began just four days after I moved back home from college. On my first day, I met my supervisor, Kyle Cottrill, who showed me around the building and introduced me to my office. That same morning, I was instructed on how to answer and document constituents’ phone calls. It felt surreal being on the other end of the line for calls similar to the one I made a few months back during my case study. As an intern in Senator Grassley’s Davenport office, one of my responsibilities is to record the comments, concerns, and requests that the constituents have for Senator Grassley, and then transmit them to the D.C. office, where responses are written and dispatched. Put differently, I act as a liaison between constituents and the D.C. office. So far, my daily constituent services include answering phone calls, as well as reading and organizing voicemail messages that were received overnight.
First Day in my Office!The next daily duty that I was introduced to is how the local district office communicates local news to the Senator’s press team. This task has become the first activity that I tackle each morning when I come into the office. Every day, I read through the online version of the Quad-City Times. While reading through the newspaper, I search for articles that contain information that would be useful for Senator Grassley to be knowledgeable of. Most of these clips include articles about local politics or opinions. I compile these clips into a document that eventually becomes merged into a larger report that contains relevant clips from each district office in Iowa. This information provides the Senator with local information from all over the state. I personally enjoy this daily task, as I am able to learn about local politics and current events, as well as provide the Senator with important updates.
Starting the Day with the News and Coffee :)
During my first week, I had the opportunity to attend various meetings, including a quarterly update with the Veterans Service Organization (VSO). During my time here, I quickly learned that Senator Grassley’s staff provides assistance to constituents who need help with contacting and working with federal agencies like the IRS, the DOJ, or the VA. Since this piqued my interest, Kyle walked me through the process of receiving a casework file and the steps and procedures that are taken to contact the proper agencies.
My education at Cornell College has equipped me with the necessary skills for this internship. Two courses—Campaigns & Elections and American Political Institutions—have specifically prepared me for a political work environment. They taught me about government structure, policies, the importance of constituents, political finance, and more. Although it has only been one week, I have applied these skills and knowledge first-hand. Throughout this summer, I look forward to improving my communication, research, and writing skills and familiarizing myself with local and national government legislation and operations.
I am confident that this internship will provide me invaluable skills and knowledge. As I gain a deeper understanding of public service, I can see myself considering a future career in government. As I wrap up week one, I want to reflect on the fact that I am always eager for the next day. Next week, I will be given the opportunity to introduce myself to Senator Grassley and ask him a question, which is something I am looking forward to!