“Summer is creeping to an end,” I realized as I was checking emails at my host office, the district office of Congresswoman Young Kim, representing CA-39. As I reflect on my time in the office, I feel a sense of urgency linger over me like a permanent cloud during the gloomy season, though I cannot quite put my finger on what this urgency entails, only the fact that it has encouraged me even more to dive deeper into my strengths and channel that into impacting change. Although my time as a congressional intern has been short, I feel as though I have aged vastly with the experiences and knowledge that I have acquired. This summer has allowed me to envision my future a little more clearly; I have grown to appreciate the commute to work, learned to set aside time for myself after COB (close of business - look at me using office email abbreviations), and experience a sense of public service. Most importantly, I have started to question how I want to give back to my community, and learned my capacity for public service.
On the day to day, the office begins the morning quiet, perhaps as we all are still waking up and in our zones. It is the first phone call that normally sparks communication between the office. I vividly remember the first time that I answered the phone, and the instant dialogue that occurred after the phone call ended. Questions from staffers like, “What was that about?” and when I would put someone on hold, staffers were more than happy to take on the call since they were more knowledgeable about constituent matters. The support system in the office is nothing more than genuine and efficient. I have not experienced a phone call, as sporadic as they can be, to which I did not feel supported by or feel as though I could hand off the call to a more suitable person to answer. Phone calls are the most intern-heavy task, and it is nice to know that I am supported in the process.
Reflecting on the processes that have become almost second nature to me, I found myself questioning whether or not I could see myself doing the tasks that the staffers in the office were tasked with daily. Even more so, I pondered on whether I could see myself answering heated phone calls that myself, as an intern, pass over to staffers. The answer to these pondering reflections is that I am not yet sure. I will note that I have learned through this experience that I deeply enjoy assisting people over the phone, and am grateful to learn that receptionist work comes naturally to me; this is a trait that I am glad to know that I have. I have also known that I am a natural mediator, and have learned ways to enhance this skill through trial and error in answering constituent phone calls. The biggest takeaway personally, however, is my ability to believe and see myself in positions of power. I would have never imagined that I would be a part of an experience in public service, but now, I can envision myself making change, and the feelings that I have experienced here will empower me further throughout my education and exploration of my future career.