I arrived in Washington 10 days ago, which was about four days earlier than we were required to be here. I purposely did this because I wanted to allow myself time to get acquainted with D.C. before I was thrown in head first. Truth be told, the four days was plenty sufficient. The transit system here is sophisticated and easy to navigate, and for the most part, it is easy to find your way. I am staying with family in Maryland about 25 minutes outside of D.C. and I have found getting a grasp on that area is more difficult than the District itself.
I will be honest with you; prior to my coming to the capital I had some reservations about my decision. The application and placement processes were smooth and painless, but up until the moment the wheels of my plane touched down at Dulles Airport in Virginia, I truly was expecting something to alter my plans. My faith definitely was not as strong as it should have been over the course of those five months, but looking back on it I could not have been better prepared.
Writing this today, no one has told me what to say, what not to say or how to articulate whatever it is I feel, so you can be assured that what I write is genuine and from me and only me. I say that because I want to commend and thank the staff at The Washington Center who were beyond excellent in preparing me for each step in the process and prior to taking that step, I would always have the best, most accurate information I needed to make that move the most successful. I credit them a lot with my ability to be writing this today as well as the internship placement I received.
Speaking of placement (thank you, ‘Mr. Segue’), let me give you a little background about myself and what I will be doing in D.C. I am a senior at the University of Montana in Missoula and I am a Communication Studies major with a focus on Organizational Communications. Basically that is a fancy way of saying ‘public relations.' I'm involved with the football program at UM and really have a passion for working with the team. Before my father passed away, he recognized my passion and told me he felt I should pursue coaching as a career. For the longest time I have wanted to coach college football and that is what led me to work for the program.
Football is an especially tough career to break into and like any other career, it's not what you know, but rather who. Taking all of this into consideration, I decided to utilize my time in Washington to put a ‘back-up’ plan into place in case coaching is not meant to be my path. Back home I also worked with Senator Max Baucus and gained an interest in politics. I guess in that sense, D.C. is the perfect city for me. It seems there is always someone here who wants to tell you why they believe a certain candidate is the best and how they arrived at that decision or why a certain issue is more important than another.
Prior to my arrival here in D.C., I accepted a placement with a public relations firm which, while small by design, handles some big names. When I took the internship, I was told the project I would be spending most of my time on would be the Floyd Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya rematch. This reason, and the opportunity to travel with the press tour led me to decide on Swanson over some other big names like Fox News Channel. When making your decision, I urge you to consider where you will be able to get a better feel for the job. A big name company is not always best because often the smaller company will offer a more hands on experience. I believe I received one of the best placements with The Washington Center. Not many other interns are going to be able to travel around the country and promote a mega-event and I will have that opportunity. I suppose it's all relative to your desires but for me, the fit is perfect.
Finally, within the 10 days I have been here, all of my concerns and uncertainties have already been resolved. I consider myself lucky to have received the placement I did and I am grateful to the staff at The Washington Center for helping me make the smooth, often ‘culture shocking,' transition from Montana to Washington, D.C. Despite all of my planning, preparing, and paranoia the venture could not have gone better. When you get ready to make your journey, I am confident all of these people will do the same for you. In addition, you will find your friends and family will also be instrumental to your plans.
As I look forward to the weeks to come, I know there will be many exciting things to report and I look forward to letting you know about my experience and hopefully better preparing you for yours. Until next time…
.e
View of the Capitol Dome down Pennsylvania Avenue
Just a few blocks from The Washington Center's headquarters
The Washington Center's building
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