Monday, June 20, 2022
By:
It was during this past week when I finally felt confident as a hilltern. That is, confident in my work and in my ability to make mistakes and learn from them. I have historically been hard on myself in virtually every aspect of my life, which made making mistakes, and being okay with making them, quite difficult. I have been working on becoming a bit less of a perfectionist and giving myself the go-ahead to do my best work, and if it's not exactly ~correct~, improving upon it. This week, I confronted my difficulties doing these things, as a few minor mistakes, or simply things that needed some tweaking, seemed to pile on each other. However, with a brief pep talk from Aidan, I was able to recognize such things as minor indeed, figure out ways to do better in the future, and most importantly, move on to other pressing matters instead of dwelling on such things. I am proud of myself for the work that I've completed and my changing, imrpoving mindset of the learning process.
I have found my work as a Congressional intern to be both fun and meaningful. I've learned so much about various issues that I was previously unaware of just by writing memos about them, or reading related bill summaries. The historic nature of working in Congress, and in the Capitol building, has truly started to dawn on me. I frequently take an elevator with a Congress member, or find myself waiting in the cafeteria line with them. Althiugh this has helped me realize that Congressmen are indeed regular people, it's a special feeling interacting with those who have such an impact on society every day. This week, I gave my first tour, and being a DC native, I believe I took being so close to so many historic places for granted. Giving my first tour of the Capitol helped me appreciate just how significant and special my internship host really is; standing in the very same spot where Lincoln sat as a Congressman, and being in the room where Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated, and another where Plessy v. Ferguson was decided... just, my gosh. It's a unique, awe-inspiring feeling that I can't truly describe with words.
This is a bit all over the place, but coming into my own as a hilltern has enabled me to enjoy my time outside of Rayburn even more. I have a lovely dinner routine and get to bed early, and have my fun on the weekends. I danced the night away on Friday, and that in combination with appreciating my small role in Congress made my week quite special. Til next time!
Katie Futrowsky