Being in DC is a similar sensation to my freshman year. Many of the qualities that I thought were unique or special when I was back home are common-place here. My involvement with local politics and volunteer work – pshaw. Feminist? Welcome to our listservs, networking events, and happy hours. While it is absolutely wonderful to have a life filled with interesting and smart people, I admit that I’ve been challenged everyday to really learn who I am ideologically, politically, and who I am as a person. My housemates of varying political beliefs continue to challenge and often change my more-partisan beliefs. Co-workers and people I meet in DC have no qualms with asking you how you feel about a specific policy matter.

Also, I’ve fallen in love with the Hill and the City. Until I moved here, I did not know that DC was called “Hollywood for Dorks;” and thank goodness, it certainly feels like it to me. There’s such a rush of excitement when I recognize a Senator or Representative waiting for an elevator or subway. Being on the Hill, I feel like I am a part of the action, especially when I get to watch my boss meeting with constituents and asking pointed questions in committee hearings. She’s confident, well-spoken, and talks in such a matter-of-fact and kind way about volatile issues that you just can’t help but agree with her! I really look up to her as the kind of elected official that I’d like to be someday.

I am certainly not the same young women who moved here in January. Personally, as a recent graduate, I also see myself transitioning into adulthood. I admit that leaving the insular world of a small university and into a 9-6 job has its challenges. Just in my normal routine, I am finally getting used to wearing a suit nearly everyday, packing my lunch, and feeling confident in my abilities to get my tasks done well. Two months ago, I was a slightly scruffy college student, scurrying between the library and the women’s center. Now, when I am leading a tour, talking to a constituent, or hunting down information for a staffer, I think  — wow! I can’t believe I am here on the Hill.

- Anna R., Star Fellow Spring 2010

Yes, DC received over 30” of snow in a week! As a resident of the Sunshine State, I am shocked that I am living in a city with a real winter. And, even more surprisingly, I don’t need gloves, earmuffs, and scarves in 40 degree weather.

I came to the Hill knowing I’d be responsible for mostly administrative tasks. Honestly, I don’t mind doing the grunt work because: someone has to do it; I’ll do it well; and I am so happy and lucky to be here. And, as someone who has written letters to their Members of Congress, I know that the constituents do appreciate hearing back from their elected officials.

Furthermore, almost everyone on the Hill started as an intern. Many of my co-workers have told me their story of starting as an intern and rising to be a staffer; and, some have just made the transition within the past month. Listening to so many staffers talk about their stint as interns, I am reassured that I am not just a lowly intern, but just on a low rung of a ladder to the top.

Because they worked their way up as well, my boss’s staff has been fantastically supportive. The staffers really look for extra projects that interest me personally and give me the experience I need to stay on the Hill. They’re great sources of advice – from how to handle the occasionally difficult call, how to use the various computer programs, and even where to take my boyfriend to dinner when he visits! One staffer has an adorable photo guide to the interns with “fun facts” she collected about us (I confessed my fact: a childhood love of prairies and old-timey bonnets!).

DC and the Hill continue to surprise me — and I can’t wait to see what this place has in store for me next. I just hope it’s not more snow!

- Anna R., Star Fellow Spring 2010

Let me first say, that I still absolutely believe in this premise and I still very strongly feel that I am a Democrat.  But after actually experiencing government first hand over the past 2 weeks I’ve begun to ask some different questions.

Each day I field upwards of 100 calls- some from other Representatives offices, many from our District Office, but most from Constituents calling to express their beliefs.  And, as I’m taught, I log these calls and send the messages off to their respective Legislative Correspondent to be addressed.  What has boggled my mind as I’ve jotted down these messages is the diversity of strong opinion for and against almost every issue.  In one second I can be talking to an elderly woman from a rural area who so strongly believes in the Representative’s promotion of the public option that she’s willing to send whatever she has left of her life savings to support it while 30 seconds later a young man from the city will call convinced the Congresswoman is trying to deprive him of his own free will and choice in a quest to spread socialism—and, in all honesty, which is right? And who am I to tell them?

I really thought I knew how I felt before moving to D.C. And in some ways I feel more strongly than ever about my political stance and moral belief system.  But in an entirely different way I feel as if moving to D.C. and experiencing the day to day happenings of our federal government has thrown my politics into a tail spin.  I suppose it’s harder to pass judgment once you’ve been confronted with the day to day realities of a profession.  The questions are all different now.  It’s harder to be one dimensional when a formidable opponent is presenting an emotional, alternative argument.  But in the end, I think I’ll be better for it.  More informed, more level-headed and more open-minded.

About 6 years ago my Uncle Jimmy wrote the following for his twice daily column for the Dow Jones (unintentionally applicable to the snowy days ahead):

A Kind Of Hush, All Over The World

Outside the Harborside Financial Center early this morning, it was snowing heavily.

Whenever it snows heavily, I think of the beautiful lines James Joyce wrote at the conclusion of his short story “The Dead.”

Snow as metaphor for what unites us all.

“It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight … Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling too upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling fairly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”

All I can remind myself is that we are all united somehow, and no matter how confusing it may be, after a while I just have to tell myself that we’re all in it to help each other.  That, in the end, all that matters is that we tried– and that we tried for not only our sake’s but everyone’s.

-Molly M., Star Fellow Spring 2010

I’ve spent the last 3 and ½ months mostly unemployed.

Let me briefly clarify that I didn’t do absolutely nothing during these months—I got a speeding ticket, I took my grandma to get her ears pierced, I started letting my dog illegally sleep in my bed, and I disassembled and reassembled a bed to move to my brother’s new house.  So I would label myself mildly productive.  Which, I suppose, brings me to my point.  I spent much of the last 3 and ½ months alone.  And for that reason, moving into a house with 10 girls and beginning a life working 11 hours a day as a DC intern in a fast-paced, highly interactive environment was a bit of a shock to my system.

If there’s one thing I can say about a DC intern it is that you are never alone.  My office consists of three rooms- one is the Representative’s office, another houses our legislative assistants and legislative correspondents and the third is home to all the interns, the staff assistant and the scheduler.  The environment is…well…crowded.  Each phone call is overheard and each question can be scrutinized by anyone within earshot.  Which is everyone.   And not only are you surrounded by your coworkers, but the phone is constantly ringing bringing an entirely different audience to burden your mental sanity. And beyond that, after work you go out with the people from your office to some Capitol Hill “hot spot” or another to talk about the issues and converse about shared experience with other Hill staffers.

Okay…now I must admit…to some of you this may not sound like a burden at all.  Being in the company of others, experiencing the insights of our district’s constituents, and bonding over after-work drinks with your recently acquired friends (or should I call them “networking acquaintances” since we are in DC) may sound positively riveting to some.  But, as I’ve recently discovered, I am an introvert, and, not only that, but, as I’ve said, I have spent much of the past months by myself.  So the experience of going from 0 to 60 faster than a Ferrari (I had to look that up) left me a little shell-shocked by the end of this past week.  By Friday afternoon, I crawled into my bed like a cat leaving water, shaking and overwhelmed but surprisingly excited to take another dip (not the greatest analogy? I completely agree, but I really don’t like cats and the thought of them in water strangely made me feel better after a long week).

And this, it may seem, after this disjointed blog entry, is the point.  Although completely bewildering and somewhat depleting, I can’t wait to go back.  There is something electric about working on Capitol Hill.  For me, being able to run to the Washington Monument at sunrise before work, reading headline news that features pictures of your office building and seeing the legislative and democratic processes at work while you talk to concerned citizens and read policy papers that will influence future law is nothing short of astounding.  As it is with any job, the transition isn’t easy—especially coming from the unemployed world of bed reconstruction and grandma-sitting—but I know it will be well worth it.  And eventually I’ll get used to be a real human being, capable of routine social interaction, again.  And then maybe going out for happy hour after work won’t be that hard.

-Molly M., Star Fellow Spring 2010

Alongside these Washington “celebrities” roaming the halls of Congress and Pennsylvania Ave, DC is a vibrant city with a lot going on (sometimes too much). One of the many benefits of working on the Hill is the countless resources at my disposal. I’m free to choose between dozens of hearings, briefings, and press conferences taking place daily on the Hill, where I can listen to Iranian reporters brief Congress on the current political climate in Iran, or Foreign Affairs Committee members debate U.S. strategy in Afghanistan. In every committee room, a breaking news story is being cultivated, and I’m right there to witness history being made. This couldn’t be truer of the health care debate that has persevered throughout the semester. Some might say that I am lucky (some may think otherwise) to have witnessed such historical legislation get debated during my tenure on the Hill. These past four months, I’ve anxiously waited as numerous health care bills were drafted in House and Senate committees, and watched the House debate and pass H.R.3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act. I did my part by handling hundreds of constituent letters and phone calls that advocated either for or against health care reform. This next month I’ll relive the same anticipation as the Senate debates and votes on their health care bill. Being here during this tumultuous time and watching these health care bills make their way to the top has given me not only a greater understanding of how the legislative process works, but more confidence to voice my opinion on this issue.

For many staffers, health care reform is just one of many pieces of legislation that will be passed this year. Even if staffers do have their own personal opinions on the issue, the actual legislative process—including the media circus that comes with every contentious piece of legislation—is routine for them. As I became more comfortable in my office the everyday happenings on the Hill were becoming routine for me as well. With so many opportunities available on and off the Hill I was getting used to this “surreal” lifestyle. My perception of what constituted normal was changing; surreal was the new normal.

It took just one day at home during Thanksgiving break for me to snap back into reality and recognize that these everyday happenings in DC are not normal. Nowhere outside of the beltway can one attend a full committee hearing on U.S. strategy in Afghanistan one day and a Homeland Security full committee hearing on Tareq and Michaele Salahi’s security breach at the White House State Dinner the next. Getting outside the beltway for a few days made me realize that DC is unlike any other city, with a personality of its own that must not be taken for granted. So even if I run the risk of looking too much like an intern while scribbling down notes as a committee hearing, or ingenuous while gawking at Marine One flying towards the White House, I’ll take my chances.

- Elizabeth A., Star Fellow Fall 2009

Each one of them unique, and yet many of their traits the same: strong, independent, determined, passionate, and intelligent.  Many of the times I find myself taking notes on these women, not on what they are saying, but about their characteristics and personality.  The one thing I have found most impactful is that each one of these women is so inspiring.  Although many of the women we have heard from in our seminars have not been elected officials, they are definitely breaking glass ceilings and blazing paths for women in their own respects, as well.

What I have come to realize, too, is how amazing and inspirational the stories of the other fellows are.  I have genuinely loved learning and getting to know each and every one of them.  It is interesting that although they may all identify with the same party that they still hold different views on some issues.  They definitely have very different experiences that have shaped their political beliefs.  It these experiences that they have shared with me that are helped to continue to shape my political beliefs. These women are so smart and I have been able to learn so much from each of them.

The one bit of advice I keep hearing is to take a risk, something women, myself included, often have trouble with.  Through the risks they many of these women have taken, they have been able to find much success.  I feel like my next step will definitely be a risk, whether it means taking a job on a campaign or in an office I would have never imagined myself in.  I am excited for what is to come and what I have learned thus far as a Star Fellow and from the many women I have met.

-Whitney H., Star Fellow Fall 2009

Alsop’s main idea of trophies are young people that enter the workforce with a strong sense of entitlement and that want to move up in the workplace hierarchy as fast as possible. This mindset can be attributed to overbearing and/or coddling parents and teachers that have aversely impacted the “millenials”. Alsop also says that along with this sense of entitlement, trophies have no work loyalty, need to be complimented for each task, and require detailed instructions for each task they are asked to complete.

After reading the article, I could easily think of several of my peers that fit the description of a trophy. As someone of the generation, I wondered if I was indeed a trophy as well. In all my years of single sex education, I’ve been taught to be a strong assertive woman in order to be successful in the work force. As an intern however, sometimes it is difficult to discern when to assert yourself and when to simply fulfill the tasks given to you which typically involves a fair amount of grunt work. I began the internship without a real idea of what things would actually be like because I think an intern’s role varies drastically depending on the office in which you are working. However, I was certainly determined to come into the internship with an open mind and a willingness to work as hard as possible and learn as much possible.

I think the lessons of the work place can sometimes get lost in the wake of paying your dues. Sometimes the assignments just seem like busy work but in a lot of ways, there are tokens of knowledge to take away from even the most mundane tasks. Working in an office in any capacity is a learning experience because you learn the ways of the office, how to become a team player, responsibility, and dedication. Also, if you are doing even the most mundane tasks, it can be a huge help. Being an intern gives the staff the opportunity to learn about you as a person and as a worker, which is extremely important in deciding whether or not that person is a good fit to become a part of the staff permanently.

I would never want to be looked at or considered a trophy even though admittedly, I am somewhat accustomed to the instant gratification society that surrounds me. If I could get an amazing position with great pay right out of college, I think I would feel as though I was living my dream and fulfilling my goals. On the flip side, I believe there is something to be said about the character building part of working your way up.  Nothing that I have received in my life that was worth having has come easily so the ideal job should be no exception. I don’t want to get swept into the mentality of my generation that we are entitled to everything yet others before us had to work hard for years to attain the same things. I can appreciate the internship for the lessons it teaches and also the small contributions I get to make in the grand scheme of the political system.

-Anyah B., Star Fellow Fall 2009

This all changed when I came to Washington, DC. Although groups have specific missions, such as Running Start, WIN (Women’s Information Network), and WUFPAC (Women Under Forty Political Action Committee), they still provide networks for women. Women in Washington are very motivated and empowered, and I attribute this to the numerous support systems. I believe that towns and cities that provide education and empowerment programs to women are, and will be, more progressive and successful.
We are so privileged to live in the United States where we have copious resources, and I feel especially lucky because I have had friends, family and teachers who want me to succeed. But not all people, especially women and young girls, have that opportunity. Running Start has set the stage for providing young women with resources to help them be leaders, and my wish is to see this organization expand throughout the United States and all over the world.

(On a side note): Washington DC is a place like no other; it is the part of the United States where people from the north, south, east and west all come together. These people may be from all walks of life, representing liberals, conservatives and everything in between, but they are here on a mission. Never in my life have I met so many motivated and hard-working individuals. The Star Fellows of Running Start are a prime example of the young talent that will help improve our country in the years to come. I am so honored to live and be friends with women of our house and it has truly become ‘home’.

-Katelyn S., Star Fellow Fall 2009

So it appeared that my two o’ clock tour had arrived twenty-five minutes early.  Now this was my very first time leading a capitol tour, and my staff assistant had warned me that this group was not the usual crowd of couples vacationing in DC and hoping to take in some sights.  My tour training had taken place earlier in the week and consisted of two abbreviated walks around the capitol led by a fellow intern.  This probably would have prepared me to guide a few constituents, but I wasn’t so sure it would be enough training for this first tour group.

The group consisted of a dozen international military intelligence students, and frankly I was intimidated.  Growing up in Santa Monica, CA, my interactions with the military world had been quite limited.  My grandfather served in WWII, but I never got a chance to ask him about his experiences before he passed away.  I had one cousin join the Navy, only to quit a year later.  One of my goals during my time in DC was to gain a better understanding of the armed services, and become more comfortable with these important issues.   I suppose meeting these gentlemen and giving them a tour was as good a way as any to jump-start this process.

So unsure as I might have been, fearing they would ask me questions I could not answer, or I would accidentally lead them to the Cafeteria instead of the Capitol, I introduced myself to the crew and commenced the tour.  Without boring all of you with facts about the various rooms in the Capitol, let me say, that the tour went incredibly well (except for almost breaking a Capitol elevator because we were over the weight limit).

The group couldn’t have been more excited to soak in everything about the Capitol, and document the trip with frequent photo shoots.  It was actually quite humorous to watch these grown men pose in huddles comparable only to an Olsen twin photomontage in one of their straight-to-video classics.  Rather than the serious, stiff gentlemen I imagined them to be, the group was incredibly jovial and gracious.  They talked openly about their jobs (except for the top secret information, of course) and the countries they came from.  They were extremely grateful for the tour, and made me feel completely at ease.

I don’t mean to generalize that all military personnel act a certain way, or define people through their careers, but I can account for the friendliness and warmth of this group of individuals.  Looking back on this meeting, I feel guilty that I carried any expectations about the personalities of the military students. I’m glad that I had the opportunity to get to know these gentlemen over the course of a two-hour tour, and look forward to future occasions where I can become more comfortable with military issues.  As someone wanting to enter a career in public service, I hope to gain further insight into those that risk their lives to serve this country.

This experience was just one of many since I arrived in Washington, D.C. where I am placed out of my comfort zone. Going to a large, public high school in an urban city and then a private university in the Midwest, I never thought I was one to lack diverse experiences.  I have friends from all different racial, religious, and economic backgrounds, yet coming here I realized there are always different types of people to meet and situations to conquer.  Whether sharing a room with a Republican (gasp), or just sharing a room in general as a 22-year-old, I am more than ready for all of the new experiences that this city has to offer.

Dani K., Star Fellow Fall 2009

Although I am only two weeks into this program, I have learned so much not only from my internship and seminars but also from the women I am living with. I am lucky to be living in a house with the six other women in my program in addition to three other women. At first, I must admit that I was a bit apprehensive about living with so many other women since I had never done that before! For the past two years, I have been living with my college roommate (in coed dorms) who knew me inside out and could tolerate my morning grumpiness and other strange habits. However, after about two days of living in a full house, I think this is one of the best parts about this semester. We all come from different areas of the country and have various perspectives that we are willing to share with each other. For a California girl like me, I love hearing about places ranging from the coast of Mississippi to my current roommate’s home in Maine. Those are places that I have always dreamed about visiting but haven’t gotten around to in my 20 years of living. It’s more than just sitting around the kitchen table sharing stories about what happened back home or at college; it also includes the little things such as seeing when we wake up, what we eat…It all sounds quite boring but it’s like watching the lives of nine other people on a reality show except I’m actually living in the reality show.

I also knew that one of the things I would love about moving out here for a semester was living in the city. I spent a part of last summer living in DC, and I had a fabulous time walking, biking, and riding the Metro everywhere. I popped my head into museums and stores whenever I wandered around, took bike rides to the edge of the Potomac just to see the sun set behind the towering buildings in Virginia, and really did all the “touristy” things. And this semester, my roommates and I have been again taking advantage of all D.C. has to offer by going to festivals, like the National Book Festival, receptions, and just enjoying ourselves. I don’t feel the need to see everything in a week but I know that if I walked out my door, I am a jump, hop, and skip away from the Capitol, the White House, and many other neat places in D.C.

Something different that I am getting this semester is my immersion in politics. I have become a bit obsessed with reading all of the D.C./Hill newspapers such as Roll Call, The Hill, CQ, etc. When something happens in Congress, I’m three times more interested because the events are happening literally less than a mile away from me. I hear people talking about legislation all around me, and I actually see those Congresswomen and men who are the movers and shakers walking down the halls of the Capitol. For someone who lives to engage in debates about politics, I tell you that there is no better place than D.C.

I guess a part of me still really misses being in a library poring over articles and books but I’ve realized this is just a different type of learning, and one challenge for me is to see how what I’ve learned from my classes relates to what I’m learning from my internship and seminars. One of the advantages of the seminars is that we are talking to people who are actual professionals in the field. For example, one of our assignments for this fellowship is to interview the Member of Congress we’re interning with, and we had people who are reporters come in and give us some great tips about interviews. My first assumption was that interviews are all about asking questions but I never considered the art behind conducting an interview. Who knew that transitions between questions were so important? Or that an interview should be more of a conversation than simply having the interviewer asking the interviewee long lists of questions?

In today’s seminar, we talked to a professor from AU who wrote a book about women breaking the political glass ceiling. It was fascinating to learn that there are certain districts where women have a higher chance of winning Congressional elections than others. I bet if we talked to anyone on the street, most would not admit that they take gender into account when voting. Most would say that they would look at both candidates equally and vote for one according to their demonstrated skill and accomplishments without regard to gender. Of course today was not the first day I discovered that people and the media judge women and men differently in politics, but it was strange to see that political scientists have actually succeeded in finding patterns in districts where women are more likely to win Congressional races. It was discouraging to see that one could predict the chances a woman would win based on the district where she ran. I would like to believe that a qualified woman running in any race should have a fair shot at winning, but sadly statistics tell otherwise.

It’s still too early to tell what I’m going to gain from this whole experience, but I already have many burning questions in my mind. How can we as women really break through barriers and avoid being tokenized for the sake of appearance? How can we set up a system of mentorship and support between older women and younger women? How can we change the way women are covered in the media so that the media will look at a woman’s accomplishments and not how she is dressed? How do the movements of encouraging more minorities to run for political office relate to our push for more women to run? Although we have made much progress in the women’s movement, how do we keep pushing for equal rights even when others have already deemed that women and men are now “equal”? For someone who would like to run for office someday, this is not just a learning experience but a personal journey because I am a woman. These questions are not just important to other women and my future but my life too because I am living through these experiences everyday. All of these issues do and will affect me regardless of what I decide to do in the future because they have implications on other issues in society, such as society’s standard of how women should balance family and work, etc. Can I cry in public because I get so emotionally invested in this healthcare debate? Can I stand by my convictions against another person and not be judged as being “too manly” or “too strong”? All those concerns and questions I have about the current political situation are intimidating but if I look at this with some perspective, there have been challenges for women since the beginning of time. I am still optimistic that women can break the glass ceiling but I would like to leave this fellowship with even more ideas of how all women can further empower each other to succeed in the political realm in addition to everyday life.

In my two weeks of being here, surrounded by so many amazing Running Start mentors and fellows, I have never been prouder of being a woman.

-Katherine L., Star Fellow Fall 2009