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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The summer after graduation is a pivotal time for the recent college graduate. Some, ahead of the curve, have jobs lined up and are moving to new cities to start their new lives. Many spend their summer in limbo, just beginning to think about their not-so-distant futures or preparing for Masters and PhD programs. Each recent grad leaves their alma mater to forge out their own paths and come to terms with the end of one phase and the beginning of another.
For me, the summer after graduation has exceeded my every expectations. I hoped that working on the hill this summer would give me some solid experience and put me on track to get my law degree and spend a career as an attorney. However, what the summer actually brought, was new interests and a mini career crisis.
While interning at Representative Mark Takano’s office, I had the opportunity to flag bills for co-sponsorship, attend briefings, and communicate with constituents on a daily basis. I’ve been immersed in the fast-paced politically charged culture on the hill. The stuffy hyper-formal workplace I had imagined could not have been further from reality. While working in Congress, I have been surrounded by young, intelligent, passionate individuals with huge dreams and aspirations. I’ve fallen in love with my workplace, this city, and the community I am a part of here.
Additionally, I’ve learned so much about building a network. Throughout my 8 weeks, I set up multiple coffee chats with mentors and coworkers, taking special care to discuss their career journeys at length. One thing I took away from every single person is that there is not one guaranteed path to success. Everyone’s journey looks different and sometimes, diverging from the plan brings you to something unexpected.
Enter my career crisis:
I’ve known for quite some time that I want to pursue a career in law and politics, but I had never considered how many career options fall within the category. Even the category of civil rights and criminal justice is not narrow enough to illuminate one clear path forward. Previously, I planned to earn my master’s degree and then immediately move on to law school. Now I realize I could become an attorney as planned, come back to Congress to work as a legislative staffer, work at a think tank or a non-profit, or pursue any number of career options that check all of my boxes.
As I reflect upon my time as a Victory Congressional Intern, a lot sticks out. Hands down, though, the most significant thing that interning at Victory has taught me is that a career crisis is okay. At least for me, this career crisis has been good. I’ve learned so much about myself and I’m happy to know that my future is wide open and my success is not pinned upon adherence to any particular plan.
I’m excited to move to my next phase, at the University of Chicago where I will complete my master’s degree in the social sciences with a concentration in race, diaspora, and indigeneity. While there I hope to discover even more things to be passionate about, and have experiences that give me more career crises. It may be true that my five-year plan isn’t completely fleshed out, but I’m learning to love the limbo.
