OUT ON THE HILL is the official blog of the Victory Congressional Interns. Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of LGBTQ+ Victory Institute. Learn more about the internship at victoryinstitute.org/vci.
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As I reflect on my time with the Victory Institute this summer, what I think about most is the complete transformation I have gone through. Throughout this program, I have been privileged to see myself change both professionally and in my connection with my queer identity; I am excited to take the lessons I have learned from my experience this summer into my life moving forward.
Before being a Victory Congressional Intern, I wasn’t confident in my professional abilities because I had never been in an office work environment before. When I was applying to internships for this summer, I worried that my lack of professional experience would tank my chances of landing a spot in any of the programs I applied for. Additionally, because my identities as a Black person and woman are the most visible, my identity as a queer person is typically treated like an afterthought in most of my day-to-day experiences, if it was even mentioned at all. While I have always been very proud and open about my identity as a lesbian, I felt less connected to this identity than others that were harder for the public to ignore.
However, this experience within the Victory Institute has changed me completely. I’ve had a 180-degree shift from how I felt in professional spheres at the beginning of the summer. Although I tend to be very introverted, I have networked with as many people as possible, making me feel proud as I recount the many professional connections I have made on and off of The Hill this summer. I usually struggle with putting myself out there due to fear of rejection or coming off as insincere. However, this summer I have learned how to effectively create new connections with other professionals in a way that feels authentic to me.
Additionally, I initially felt like a fish out of water coming into an office workspace for the first time. I worried that I wouldn’t perform as well as other interns who had previous internship experiences. There were many moments leading up to the start of the program when I questioned my ability to meet expectations in the office. However, throughout my internship, I realized I already had all the tools and support I needed to be successful in a work environment. As soon as I started to trust myself and my abilities, I received great feedback from my supervisors on my work, and I began to feel more and more confident in myself as a professional. Reflecting now, I realize that this experience wasn’t meant to trip me up or trap me under unattainable expectations; instead, it is an opportunity for me to demonstrate my academic knowledge and learn how public policy and politics work in real life on The Hill.
Another one of the most rewarding parts of this summer was strengthening my bond with my queer identity, which I typically feel less connected to than my Blackness and my womanhood. Being in a space where my queer identity was recognized made me feel seen. Furthermore, learning about queer history and having conversations about the LGBTQIA+ community allowed me to connect with my queerness in a way I hadn’t before. I am profoundly grateful for the newfound connectedness with my queerness this summer has brought me.
Moving forward, I am excited to take the lessons I have learned with me into my daily life. I look forward to using the confidence I have gained this summer to assertively stride into all personal, professional, and academic opportunities I will have after this. Moreover, being in a space where I felt like all of my identities were recognized has taught me the importance of always bringing my whole self into all of the spaces I enter from now on. Moving forward, I refuse to be in any environment where I feel like my identities cannot be fully recognized and accepted– my identities and experiences are important and deserve to be part of the conversation.
Over this summer, I feel like I have watched a butterfly go through all the stages of metamorphosis; I am incredibly proud of the beautiful butterfly I have become, and I can’t wait to see where I fly next.
