Meghan Durfee

in Spring 2015, Student's Blog, Washington, DC
May 5th, 2015

Living as an Apolitical Hill Intern

By Meghan Durfee
Spring 2015

As a business student with zero interest in American politics (or anything politics-related really), you might think it bizarre that I chose to study abroad in Washington, DC. You might also be puzzled to learn that I intern on Capitol Hill for a congressman from my home state. Hopefully by the end of this post you will have a better understanding my motivations for doing so.

My decision to study abroad in Washington, DC was solely due to a spark in interest for health policy. I am a minor in public health and intend on working in healthcare administration at some capacity after graduating. A course I took, CAS SO 215: The Sociology of Healthcare, introduced me to the policy aspect of the industry and how this division can have a significant impact on who is eligible to receive care, what kind of care can have subsidized, etc.

With these interests in mind, I had little inclination in what kind of direction I wanted to go in. Thoughts of a think tank or a healthcare organization seemed to be obvious; working on the Hill was not even on my radar. Things have their own way of working out, however, and I found myself in a congressional office.

There are varying experiences interns have had working on the Hill. Unfortunately, in some cases days are spent answering phones and sorting mail. I, on the other hand, was fortunate enough to be working in an office that has allowed me to explore my interests. I have had the opportunities to attend briefings pertaining to the National Institutes of Health funding and new research projects on breast cancer and COPD. I have been given the opportunity to draft letters to constituents on new policies specific to the concerns they write to us with.

I have been afforded a number of opportunities that I would not have if I were confined to an individual institution. This is not to say that by working on the Hill I had a better experience than those who did not; but rather, as someone who’s goal was to test the waters in the policy world, I was offered the appropriate means to explore this interest.

Now, this is not to say I have had an epiphany or some sort of political conversion – I highly doubt that will ever happen. Rather, the exposure to this kind of world had made me more educated and aware of the events that affect our nation’s policy-making process.

I had an important conversation with my supervisor during my first week on the job. I admitted that I was lacking knowledge of how our country functions and that I do not affiliate with any political entity. I anticipated him to try and persuade me to assert a particular position, but his response could not have been further from that. Instead, he reassured me that I was not unlike many other people living outside of Washington, DC and even people living in the District. He said as an intern, my job is not to draft legislation or influence the congressman to vote one way or another. My job is to observe and absorb all that I can. He told me if I kept that in mind, I would be able to get a great deal more out of my time spent on the Hill.

The moral of the story is to not disregard a position just because it intimidates you. Although Washington, DC can be politically concentrated, it is all what you make it. You can choose to get involved or not. Trust me, there is plenty to do in this town besides attending Capitol Hill briefings and hearings.

Meghan Durfee is junior studying business administration and public health currently interning at the U.S. House of Representatives and Whitman-Walker Health.