The VIEW Reception

Each summer, the VIEW program hosts a reception at the Vanderbilt Office of Federal Relations in honor of the VIEW students. Invitees to the reception included the supervisors for each of the students, local Vanderbilt alumni, and various members of the DC higher education community. The Federal Relations Office is located in the American Psychological Association building a few blocks away from the Capitol, and the reception is held on the 12th story roof of the building overlooking the Capitol and the rest of DC. Needless to say, the rooftop is a more than ideal venue for an event. As an intern at the Federal Relations Office, I was heavily involved in the planning and coordination behind the reception. My primary responsibility was to send out invitations and keep track of RSVP's. However, as the reception inched closer, I was also involved in the set-up for the event including helping with the catering service and making name tags for guests. All of the hard work behind the reception paid off on the night of the event as it was well-attended by guests who lingered well into the evening. 

Tennessee Tuesday

Toward the end of July the VIEW cohort took a break from a summer of hard work to enjoy a beautiful tuesday in DC. We convened bright and early at the Metro stop near the apartments and headed off to the senate office building for Tennessee Tuesday, a monthly event hosted by Tennessee Senators Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander. The event is open to the public and intended to provide Tennessee residents with the opportunity to speak with their Senators and their staff. However, most of the visitors seemed interested in taking pictures with the Senators rather than discussing policy. Our group was no exception and we were more than happy to take a group picture with Senators Corker and Alexander. 

After the Tennessee Tuesday event, our group went to the Pentagon for an hour-long tour of the massive building as well as a brief meeting with a Vanderbilt alum who works there. The day was capped-off by a group dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. 

The VIEW Experience

This summer I was lucky to be selected as part of the Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington, otherwise known as the VIEW program. The group of 20 Vanderbilt students and I were provided with housing at the Pentagon Row apartments in Arlington, VA. The program matches each student with a two-month internship in their specific area of interest. As a political science major interested in government and public policy, an internship at the Vanderbilt Office of Federal Relations proved a perfect match. I was given several responsibilities as an intern. Each morning, I would read through a handful of major newspapers in search of news items related to higher education policy such as science funding or financial aid legislation. Summaries of these news items were compiled in DC Brief, a daily email sent to Vanderbilt faculty and administration intended to keep Vanderbilt afloat on the fast-paced changes on Capitol Hill. In addition to DC Brief, I also attended several congressional hearings of interest to Vanderbilt and wrote up summaries for my supervisor. On a few occasions, I was able to join my supervisor in meeting with Tennessee congressional staff members on topics of interest to the university. These meetings were an invaluable opportunity to witness public policy in action. Some of my more routine tasks included updating alumni contacts lists and delivering various Vanderbilt publications to the Tennessee congressional offices. All in all, my experience in Washington surpassed my expectations in every way, and I feel I have a much better understanding of the way our government functions.