OHIO’s first Capital Interns immersing themselves in D.C. scene

The four students selected for the inaugural cohort of Ohio University Capital Internship Program are pictured in front of the U.S. Capitol. They are (from left) Alexandra Wainright, Krissy Wahlers, Max Annable and Blair Egan.

The Bobcat family in Washington, D.C., recently got a little bigger—thanks to the Ohio University Capital Internship Program.

The inaugural cohort of Capital Internship Program students are wrapping up a semester-long experience living, working and studying in fast-paced Washington, D.C., where they are gaining insight into American politics that will help guide their future career paths.

The Capital Internship Program was founded by Ohio University President M. Duane Nellis as part of the strategic pathways he outlined for the future of the University at his inauguration.

Open to academically eligible OHIO juniors and seniors in any major and from any campus, Capital Interns work full time in Washington, D.C., take a minimum of 12 credit hours of classes and live in a common location, facilitating peer-to-peer learning and a Bobcat community. The interns are also provided a range of enrichment experiences that include meeting with distinguished Bobcat alumni, attending lectures from experts, engaging with OHIO faculty and staff, and participating in guided tours of high-profile institutions.

Ohio Today news recently caught up with the four students making OHIO history as the first to participate in this program. Each is interning with a member of Ohio’s Congressional delegation while immersing themselves in the culture, vibrancy and rich history of the nation’s capital. Here’s what they had to say about learning, living and growing in Washington, D.C.:

A senior majoring in Spanish, political science and Latin American studies, Max Annable is interning in Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s office.

Why did you apply for the Capital Internship Program?

Max Annable: My interest in politics really has to do with foreign policy. I started studying political science at OU my sophomore year after a trip abroad. I was interested more in comparative politics, so like how the United States is similar to other countries or different, or how we interact and how foreign policy works. I was really lucky to study abroad multiple times during college. Then this year this [program] came up, and because of my interest in politics and my internship last year where I worked at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, I knew this was perfect to learn more about how the United States government works and how Ohioans relate to foreign policy — so how an Ohio senator or representative works with foreign policy and how their job relates to that.

I’m definitely interested in working here in the Senate or in the House later on possibly, but I’m also interested in working in jobs like foreign service or the U.N., that kind of thing. So this gives me an in-depth perspective into how an Ohio office functions. Just the fact that the program gives you that support, as far as being in D.C. We got a week of introduction into D.C. and housing is paid for, and we have some support from professors while we’re here. It’s just a great way to give you an introduction into Washington, D.C.

Blair Egan: I almost didn’t apply for the internship. I had applied for several other internships in D.C. and came close to getting them, but in the end I didn’t. I didn’t take those failures well. It has been my dream to work in D.C. while helping as many people as I can, and I felt like it was never going to happen, and I became discouraged. I applied for this internship with no expectations because I didn’t want to be disappointed again, but deep down I really wanted it. I would like to work with the government in some way as I pursue my future career, and I knew that this was the best way of getting my foot in the door. Plus, what nerd wouldn’t love seeing how government functions behind the scenes?

Krissy Wahlers: I’ve always really been enchanted by Washington, D.C. I love the city so much. I knew I wanted an excuse to live in D.C., but I also have a strong interest in the government. I’m debating where I want to take my future studies and where I want my career to go, and so I figured why not just try to work in a congressional office because it could be really great and I could love it, or I could realize this isn’t what I want to do. But it’s a really cool experience no matter what.

Alexandra Wainwright: I’m a business major, pre-law. I definitely want to go to law school after I graduate. At the time I was considering this, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my law degree. I didn’t know if I wanted to be a lawyer or more into the political route. This was a way for me to test the waters with that. I thought it was a good opportunity to see if the political world was right for me.

A senior majoring in anthropology and minoring in political science, Blair Egan is interning in the office of Rep. Brad Wenstrup, Ohio 2nd Congressional District.

What are your responsibilities at your internship?

Annable: All of us are legislative interns or congressional interns. But my job on the legislative side… anytime someone [communicates with] the office — you can call in, you can write in, you can email — somebody has to read that. And our goal in the Brown office is to respond to every constituent in about 30 days, or to track their opinion if they leave a voicemail or that kind of thing. As interns, we’re the first people to put some eyes on that message. So let’s say you write in and you’re interested in lower tuition for college, we want to sort your mail and put it in the correct group, so we know X amount of constituents are interested in cheaper college.

We also do some research for the senator or for the legislative assistant to get some more background on that issue. We’ll draft a letter, and typically legislative correspondents — which is one of the next levels up from my position — are working on those letters and meeting with constituents that come into the office. But as an intern, we’re doing that first level on any of the mail or emails that come in. So my portfolio, because I’m mostly interested in foreign policy, has been a lot of letters that come in and have to do with foreign policy. I’ve been sorting those mail groups, and I’ve also worked on other mail groups.

I also get to attend briefings, so anything that comes up that the senator’s interested in. You have so many experts in D.C. that testify before Congress or put on events, and we attend those and we take notes, that kind of thing. Every day is different, which is one of the great things about it. It’s just so cool. We’ll give tours of the Capitol and Bernie Sanders is riding the train with you. It’s been great.

Egan: I have several daily tasks:

• Giving tours of the Capitol building
• Answering and logging constituent phone calls and emails
• Logging constituent surveys
• Writing letters to constituents
• Going to hearings and briefings and then writing memos for them
• Keeping the office organized
• Running errands around the Capitol for different staffers

Wahlers: We go in every morning and we do the basic stuff. We distribute newspapers to the congresswoman and our legislative director. We’ll water the plants, that kind of stuff. Then first thing in the morning we’ll compile a list of press clippings. Where Marcy Kaptur is mentioned in the Ohio news and national news, we gather and format those in a way that it can be distributed to the rest of the staff, so they don’t miss out on any big news. That takes about an hour; it’s the first thing on our priority list when we get to work.

Day to day it’s answering phone calls from constituents; going through constituent mail, both on paper and digital; and doing research for any staffer who needs us to, maybe call people and figure out contact information — anything a staffer needs us to do. Sometimes we get to go to free things and hearings. If there’s a particular topic our office is interested in or one of the interns is interested in, we can go to briefings where they talk about a specific issue or specific bill that’s trying to get passed.

Wainwright: I get to work at about 8:45. I usually make coffee. I’m not required to — I just really like coffee. I put out the newspapers for the day. Sometimes, depending on the desk I sit at, I might check the voicemail, or like this morning I compiled all the press clips with Tim Ryan’s name in them so that could be sent out to the office. But throughout the day, the main thing is answering phone calls from constituents or organizations. But I also go through the email and sort through the emails based on what topic they’re about. My two main responsibilities would be talking to constituents on the phone and also the emails. Occasionally I’ll help do some legislative research or data entry. There’s definitely a lot of stuff to do, and I try to help out wherever I can.

A sophomore majoring in environmental studies, Krissy Wahlers is interning in the office of Rep. Marcy Kaptur, Ohio 9th Congressional District.

What are some lessons you’ve learned from this program?

Annable: I’ve learned about the legislative process. I know more about the role of my senator and more about the role of somebody in the House of Representatives. I know how a constituent can interact with a congressional office and ways that people advocate for certain interests, and how different senate offices approach that. Because there are like 100 different senate offices, each one is different, and they all run their own team… One of the things we do is a signature run. So any memos that go to the floor to be proposed have to be signed off by different members, and you have to take it and get it signed. While we’re doing that, you just go and you’ll talk with interns from other offices. We all got lunch with a couple interns from Angus King’s office, who is a senator from Maine, so we got to compare different things and learn how things are different.

Egan: I have learned how to better handle myself in a professional setting as well as work under pressure. It can be a bit overwhelming at first when you are surrounded by individuals who are either seen constantly on the news or those who have more experience and expertise in the field that you just wrote a memo in. I have learned to take new challenges in stride, and it has allowed me to grow more independent and confident in myself and my abilities.

Wahlers: I’ve learned a lot about when to talk versus when to listen because there’s so much knowledge and so many incredibly smart people on the Hill that sometimes it’s better to listen to their expertise rather than trying to give what you already know about the topic. Even if you do know something, they also probably know that, so it’s better to just listen sometimes.

I’ve gained really valuable people skills and office skills because we are the main line of communication with constituents. You’re talking to people all day long, so you learn how to deal with people who are upset with the government or who have specific concerns. You hear some really sad stories sometimes. I’ve learned a lot about how to deal with people, and just office skills. Just working in an office is different than anything I’ve ever done before. It’s a valuable professional lesson.

Wainwright: I think that Congress really doesn’t work the way I think it did. I think a lot of people have this general impression that the lawmakers are the ones who write the laws and come up with bills and propose them, but I’m really seeing a lot of what goes into even one bill. Every member has between 10 and 30 staff members who do a lot of the legislative research and even the writing. Within that, every single day there are organizations that come in and talk to the legislative assistants who then do the research. I guess one thing that really surprised me was how much work is behind even one member. It’s definitely not a one-man show. I knew that members had staff; I just didn’t realize how involved they were in the legislative process.

I think also here, because of the current political situation, it’s interesting to see the inside perspective of what’s going on. I kind of see things in a different light. I was here during the government shutdown in January. And seeing what’s going on and how people talk about it is different than how I would normally receive it back home in Athens, just reading the news. I guess the main thing is that there’s a lot that goes into this process that I didn’t even know about. I feel like a lot of people don’t.

I think one of my biggest frustrations is that we’re under the impression that if you want to make change you go to Congress and make laws, when really only about 5 percent of bills become laws. It’s a whole process. I kind of feel a little disheartened by it. I think at this point I’m looking more toward a public service legal career rather than a political career.

A junior studying business in the Honors Tutorial College, Alexandra Wainright is interning in the office of Rep. Tim Ryan, Ohio 13th Congressional District.

What do you like most about living and working in D.C.?

Annable: I like the big-city feel; there’s so much to do. That’s not to say anything bad about Athens, but I like exploring and walking around. In D.C., it seems like there’s always something going on, and being interested in politics, you can go to a different talk or networking event or join a running club. There’s so many things to do and so many museums. You’re right in it, and it’s the perfect place to be if you’re interested in really anything.

Egan: D.C. is unlike any city I have ever been to; it is completely unique. I love that you are able to meet so many interesting people from just about anywhere in the world. Also, being an anthropology major, I would be lying if I said I haven’t taken full advantage of the fact that the Smithsonian museums are free. I have also been able to connect with other young professionals that share similar interest with me, that was sorely lacking in Athens.

Wahlers: It’s so interesting here because people are from D.C., but most of the time you meet somebody and they’re from somewhere totally different in the country. Everyone kind of comes here to work, but they’re all representing or coming from a different place in the United States or internationally. So that’s really cool. I’ve met more people from different places than I ever have, which I think is super fun. Living in a city is awesome; there’s always something to do, new restaurants to eat at. It’s so different from the quiet Athens scene. It was kind of hard to adjust at first because everything is so fast-paced here, but I’m really enjoying it.

Wainwright: There are a lot of restaurants. I’m a big food tourist. As much as I love Athens, there are about four different restaurants I go to on rotation, whereas here the only reason I’ve been to the same restaurant twice is if it’s really good. There’s always new stuff. I also like to travel and go to museums, so being able to have that opportunity is really cool.