After a long semester at university, I wanted nothing more than to go home. My desire was so strong that it became irrational. I refused to apply to any internship more than a twenty minute drive from my house. “Absolutely not,” I’d say. “I’ll do anything before I go anywhere that isn’t Charlotte, North Carolina. You’ll have to drag me kicking and screaming.” Then, I was referred to the Frank Karel Fellowship. It was annoyingly perfect for me. As a creative writing and political science double major, what could encapsulate the intersection of the two fields more than public interest communications? Hadn’t I spent so much time talking about the power of words? How they were necessary to achieve an end, political and otherwise? It covered housing and transportation, so there was simply no excuse. “Okay,” I conceded. “If I get this one, I’ll go.”
I did get it. So, I had to go. Soon, I was in the world of Washington D.C. In the first three days, I was covered in orange paint in Beat the Bomb, on a boat looking at the Washington Monument, and laughing so hard with my cohort I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t remember why I didn’t want to go. Then, I was matched with the National League of Cities, and I remembered. Soon, I was in meetings with people who regularly made decisions for an organization that has been around for decades and is worth millions. There I was at 6AM, stressing over whether I should wear flats or sneakers. Is this dress business casual enough? Can I have my hair down? Should I be wearing makeup?
I was panicked, convinced that I was out of place. I didn’t know how to speak or even sit normally. So, I made it my mission to put myself outside of my comfort zone. I spoke to people. Suddenly, these scary people were simply people who liked sugar in their tea or hated Tatte Bakery. These were people who loved House of the Dragon but never watched Game of Thrones. Here, I learned the most important lesson in my career: You are a benefit not only to yourself, but those around you when you learn to interact with people both as an activist and as a person. You should be able to speak to a director with the same smile you would give to a friend. You should also be able to lay out a project plan with the same ease you would tell your classmate.
Here, I learned perhaps the most important lesson in my career: You are a benefit not only to yourself, but those around you when you learn to interact with people both as an activist and as a person. To be able to speak to a director with the same smile you would give to a friend; to be able to lay out a project plan with the same ease you would tell your classmate. This is how you learn to move through the professional world. Once I realized, I was much more comfortable… And my writing became stronger. The National League of Cities is launching their annual Summer of Savings and Solutions. My drafts for the social media posts are not at all ‘standard professionalism.’ They are inviting and warm. “Here!” I say. “Let me know how I can help!” This is how I felt learning about my coworker’s sweet tooth and breakfast preferences. I realized there was a place for me in the professional world. I want to continue to challenge how I look at work — less of a job and more of an invitation.