Washington, D.C. — In the past few weeks, I have been able to engross myself in the city, which has led me to feel like a “local.” I am able to tell people where the best restaurants are and when the best times to see the monuments are. My internship is also becoming comfortable in the sense that I feel like I am part of the “Bono team.” By now, I have been able to do work that really is influential to the congresswoman’s career. My duties are becoming more complex and intricate; time has allowed a form of trust to be built between me and the staff. For example, I am given the task of reading the constituent mail and e-mails that are sent to the office. However, it also my responsibility to make sure that the congresswoman is aware of the top five issues that her constituents are concerned about and their feelings toward them. This led me to the weekly project of creating an update for the congresswoman that encompasses every detail about the bills that her constituents are concerned about, where the legislation stands and some suggested solutions based on the constituents concerns. My internship is a new and exiting adventure every time I go into work in the morning, and I am being faced with challenges that I enjoy.

When I am not a work, I am still trying to see the numerous monuments and museums that Washington, D.C., has to offer. I have absolutely fallen in love with the Jefferson Memorial; it is my favorite memorial in Washington. It has a wonderful view of the Washington Monument with a bank of water in between it. It was amazing when I was at the memorial with other UCDC participants, and we had a discussion about the founders of our country and if they would be proud of our country and the way that the government works today.

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Washington, D.C. — The first and most exciting part of this trip has been all of the people, meetings and briefings that I have been able to experience at my internship. The simple idea that my internship is inside the Capitol is exciting. The Capitol is where the laws that govern our lives are created, and it is surreal to think that I go to work there every day. On “the Hill,” there are many important decisions that are done daily, and the fact that I get to work in this place has been thrilling.

There are many different duties that I perform as an intern on the Hill. Some of them are going to different committee briefings, giving tours of the Capitol to constituents, corresponding with constituents regarding particular bills, as well as researching policies. Along with these responsibilities, the interns are very privileged because every week the Congressional Caucus has a number of significant speakers give talks to the interns regarding everything from current issues to how to make the most of your internship. Some of the people that have come to speak to us are Ralph Nader, General Collin Powell, Senator John McCain and many others. The briefings that I have been able to attend have also been interesting and very informative. For example, I was able to attend a Middle Eastern Policy briefing that included a panel that were able to discuss how Middle Eastern people feel about Americans and their policies.

The most valuable lesson from all these events has been the ability to experience all of this while important events are occurring in the world that are parallel to this, it makes me feel like I am in the hub of a place that is so powerful and able to make monumental changes in the world.

In addition to all the opportunities on Capitol Hill, there are so many other activities in the city. From the Washington Monument to the White House, there are so many places here that are such a significant part of American history, but people walk by every day and do not take advantage of them. I think the difference with the interns that are here in the summer is that we are still amazed every time we see a different monument. Besides all the monuments there are so many museums that a person can explore. There is a strip of grass way called “the Mall” which the where the Capitol is on one end, the Washington monument in the middle, and the Jefferson Memorial, with the Smithsonian is in the middle. To think that these are places that our forefathers once were is unreal, also to realize that there are so many people around this area that have so much power and prestige is even more exhilarating.

I love being here in the UCDC Center; it is comforting being with all the UCI students. We always get to go to places together and experience things together. When we aren’t traveling around D.C. to look at the monuments, we get to go out on the town. The nightlife is always happening here, with people dancing the night away. The people here are wonderful and lots of fun. It is the perfect mix of motivated people who want to get things done and people who like to have a good time. I love it here, it is what exactly what a person who has interests such as mine would want to be. With the first impressions that are the most important, hard-working days, and fun-filled nights there isn’t that much more one can ask for.

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Washington, D.C. — This summer is an exciting time for me and about 40 other Anteaters: We are on a journey to Washington, D.C. For many of us, it’s our first time visiting the East Coast. I have heard that the city has a lot to offer with everything from historical monuments that tell the story of our nation’s beginnings to an exciting nightlife. I cannot wait to experience it all!

Washington, D.C., is the place to be for people who are interested in politics and major nonprofits based here. I chose to come to D.C. because it is the hub of my interests. I will be interning on Capitol Hill with Congresswoman Mary Bono, R-Calif., which will be a learning experience that I will never forget. I hope to learn a lot about what actually happens on Capitol Hill and where the real power lies. It will be interesting to meet all of the “staffers,” and find out what tools they use to make the city go.

The great chance that we receive as participants in the UCDC Program is that most of us will be here for about 11 weeks, so it will be a great way to not only be a visitor but to actually feel like you live in the city. We get to live in the northwest quadrant of Washington, D.C., where the center houses all of the other students who have come from a variety of UC campuses.

I am anxious about the new beginning that I am embarking upon. There are many people whom I will be able to form connections with, and I know that first impressions are lasting ones. So this is my chance to make many first impressions that may affect my future endeavors. This in itself is what I am anxious about; however, I know that when I get into the swing of things, everything will be in place. This is a rare opportunity to make connections with people who share my interests and start building my network for the future.

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