During the Spring 2024 semester, I had the privilege of participating in the SUNY Washington Internship Program for my final undergraduate semester. Throughout this time, I was able to live on Capitol Hill with a view of the Capitol and Supreme Court practically from my front door and work at an internship that I absolutely loved. Being in the heart of DC was inspiring, to say the least, and allowed me to meet lifelong friends and better understand the career path I wanted to go down.
During the semester, I worked as a Mobilization Intern with the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC works to get Democrats elected up and down the ballot, all across the country. I specifically worked with the Donor Cultivation team while at my internship and had the opportunity to work on several different things. My duties included opening and sorting mail that came in, addressing donor requests from mail, calls, or comments left on the website, and replying to & helping create texting campaigns as well as emails, and newsletters. I would also work with the Direct Mail team and assist with proofing mailing samples. My internship also had programming sessions that allowed me to do many great things! I had the opportunity to tour the White House, do phone banking with volunteers, meet the Executive & Deputy Executive Directors, and more. This internship was a dream come true and such a privilege to be able to contribute to getting Democrats elected across the country. The team welcomed me with such kindness and open arms since day one and I always felt like I was a valuable part of the team.
Aside from my internship, I had the best time in DC in general! The class sessions each Friday were always super engaging, and it was always such a fun time, to see my classmates every week. We had the opportunity to visit places in DC that I don’t think I would have ever visited otherwise. With this being my first time in DC, I was eager to explore the city as much as I could, and I got to do just that! I was fortunate enough to spend my time there with great classmates and friends who were always willing to go on a new adventure and visit somewhere new. I don’t think I have ever walked more than in these few months, but it could not have been more worth it! This program is so unique because you get to experience something so real that you could never get from a classroom. You are getting real-world experience and get to do it while doing something you love, with great people. Every person in this program has huge aspirations and goals and it is so motivating to be surrounded by people who care just as much as you do. There is truly nothing that compares.
If you are on the fence about doing this program or just discovering it, all I can say is, DO IT! I almost didn’t sign up because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend my last semester away from campus and my friends, but I can’t say enough how worth it, it is. Sure, I missed my friends, but I gained so many new ones that I know will stick around, and gained invaluable experience I would never get anywhere else. This program taught me so much about what I do and do not want to do and pushed me to go for what I wanted, and it paid off.
I am now going into a job that I could only once have dreamed of. After graduation, I will be joining the Biden for President Campaign and moving to Wilmington, Delaware to work at Campaign Headquarters and in Donor Cultivation, just like I was doing in my internship. I truly never would have even tried to apply to the position if I hadn’t participated in this program, but through the amazing connections I made and encouragement from my supervisors and peers, I did. It might be scary but take the risk! Take the risk and move to DC for a semester, it is something you will not regret. This was a semester that I will truly never forget.