SA学生反思夏天是“Hilltern”

罗伯特·奥斯汀·里加尔25年写的

想象一下，你走进美国博物馆宏伟的大理石走廊.S. 国会大厦, surrounded by over two centuries of history and immersed in the machine of legislative decision-making that shapes the nation and, 在很多方面, 世界.  

这 was my reality over the summer as an intern in 美国 Senate and the summer before in 美国 House of Representatives. What began as a curiosity about government and foreign policy quickly became a profound learning experience. 从起草立法摘要开始, 参加利害攸关的委员会听证会, 并与热情的公务员接触, these internships have provided me with a behind-the-scenes look at the most powerful nation in human history. 这篇文章深入探讨了我在国会山的变革之旅, 强调吸取的教训, 所面临的挑战, 以及我在圣安德鲁的教育如何帮助我在美国的工作.S. 立法程序和公共服务.

想象一下，你刚刚来到华盛顿特区的密室.C.，进入美国充满活力的氛围.S. 2023年夏天的国会大厦, 那里每天都充斥着立法操作和政治策略. 这 was my experience as I embarked on my first Hill internship with Congressman Jodey Arrington, who chairs the important House Budget Committee and represents the 19th District of Texas. 沉浸在国会快节奏的节奏中, 我发现自己在引导员工会议, 参加像联邦调查局告密者听证会这样的热门话题听证会, 与游说者和选民接触. Each day required sharp note-taking and quick writing skills as I prepared memoranda for the Congressman’s chief of staff and communications director. 尽管官方的工作非常有趣, my most memorable unofficial experience was getting access to a hidden horse-carriage room that President Lincoln, 然后是国会议员, 私人时间躲在里面的地方. 这个小房间, reachable only through a narrow spiral staircase under a secret trap door, is now even more inaccessible as it is part of the House Majority Leader’s new office. 在这里, I had the honor of leaving my proverbial mark by signing my signature onto the original stone interior walls of the 国会大厦, along with the lucky others who have visited that small alcove over the decades. 在这些实践经验中, 官方和非官方的, I became keenly aware of how prepared I felt from what I learned over my thirteen years at Saint Andrew’s.  无论是起草政策简报还是总结立法提案, lessons from my English courses over the years came flooding back into my mind and became immediately applicable. My education has taught me tools that were seamlessly and instinctively applied to my tasks and deeply enriched my time in the demanding world of 国会大厦 Hill.

快进到一年后, 直到2024年的夏天, with a new opportunity to intern at 美国 Senate in the office of 佛罗里达 Senator Marco Rubio, where my internship began with even more exclusive access to the 国会大厦 than the summer before. 这 access allowed me to witness historic events firsthand during an intense political time, 让每一天都成为大开眼界的经历. I navigated the maze of tunnels connecting the 国会大厦 building underground with multiple trains to transport staff and representatives throughout 国会大厦 Hill, 参加多次工作人员会议, and found moments of amazement in the beautiful courtyard in the center of the Russell Senate Office Building.  The first day began by swearing my first oath to protect and defend the Constitution of 美国, setting the tone for the importance and gravity of working in 美国 Senate.  根据我去年夏天的经验, I was immediately thrust into work and given a list of daily tasks that included managing constituent calls, 邮件分拣, 组织旅游, all of which were in addition to the scheduled role of observing and documenting major hearings of Senate committees including national defense, 拨款, 司法, and other joint committee meetings such as the secret service director hearing after the attempted assassination of former President Trump. One memorable moment highlighting how close everyone works in the capitol was meeting my 佛罗里达 congressman, 贾里德·莫斯科维茨, 就在众议院投票前的走廊上. 后来，当我在观察投票的时候，众议员. Moskowitz recognized me from our brief encounter and gave me a big wave from the middle of the House floor. 这 gesture highlighted the personal connections so easily formed during my time there. 另外, 另一位议员邀请我去他的办公室, 在那里我们讨论了政治家的生活, 他亲自带我参观了一下, 再一次表明这些权力的殿堂是多么容易接近. 

虽然我之前曾与卢比奥参议员有过短暂的会面, spending time with him during the busy days in his office on the Hill put into perspective the important work these men and women do.  在这一点上, I learned just how critical the various Senate and House staff members are to the legislative process. 尽管忙碌的日子, these staff members took the time to speak to me about their career paths and offer advice to a young student who they treated with open arms in an otherwise cutthroat environment.  虽然我有特别的机会在参议院发言, 观看参议员投票, exploring all the restricted rooms and tunnels of the 国会大厦 building on my own, 在上班途中，他还要躲避街上成千上万的抗议者, it was the personal interactions with the people deep in the capital machine that really stood out as unique.  除了这些事件, 我在两个月的实习期间庆祝了我的18岁生日, a significant milestone that made my journey on 国会大厦 Hill even more unforgettable.

Throughout my internships on 国会大厦 Hill, the knowledge and skills I gained from my AP U.S. 政府和政治课程和AP英语语言课程, 在许多其他方面, 对我的成功很有帮助.  我在AP大学建立的基础.S. Government allowed me to navigate the complexities of the legislative process confidently. 同时, the analytical and writing skills refined in AP English Language were crucial for drafting legislative briefs, 准备备忘录, 与参议院工作人员有效沟通. These academic experiences deepened my understanding of government and equipped me with the tools necessary to contribute meaningfully to the legislative process, 将课堂学习与实际应用相结合. In this way, not only have I left my mark on 国会大厦 Hill, but so has Saint Andrew’s.