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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I’m writing this blog post during a very tumultuous week (to dramatically understate things). 5 days ago Biden stepped down from his re-election campaign. 4 days ago Kamala Harris set the record for donations raised for a presidential campaign in a 24-hour period. 3 days ago my standard evening run, a reliable opportunity to wind down for the day, resulted in me being aggressively re-routed by police because I passed too closely to the Watergate Hotel where they were preparing for Netanyahu’s arrival. 2 days ago the body camera footage of the murder of Sonya Massey was released, revealing the brutal killing of a terrified woman in her own home. Yesterday, I joined the rest of my cohort and was instructed to stay home from work due to safety concerns surrounding Netanyahu’s joint address with Congress. Today, I watched as the architect of one of the most horrifying genocides of the modern era calmly spoke on the House floor, and scores of Congresspeople applauded his inflammatory rhetoric and blatant lies. Simultaneously, I’ve been navigating devastating personal news. So, I write this blog post with a heart heavy with grief, outrage, exhaustion, and fear.
Concisely articulating specific takeaways from my experience working on the Hill through LGBTQ+ Victory Institute is a tricky endeavor in the best circumstances. Currently, it feels like an impossible task. The urge to collapse into hopelessness and despair is high; nonetheless, the support systems I’ve built, including my wonderful cohort, provide me with just enough motivation to keep moving. From the VCI group chat, equal parts commiserating, and Kamala memes, to the late-night walks along the Georgetown waterfront, my community here has given me the strength to continue. Their patience and gentle support have enabled me to center myself around why political work is so important and reflect on all I’ve learned in the past eight weeks.
I entered this program feeling uncertain about working for the federal government, considering it unlikely that I would ever want to work on the Hill. Although those feelings remain unchanged, I embraced the great privilege of this opportunity and have done my level best to be a sponge– to absorb anything and everything I could, whether it be a piece of advice from a staffer, banter amongst senior staff, or political commentary overheard in the Longworth cafeteria. From a brown bag with Chairman Aguilar’s chief of staff, where she articulated how being in the majority or minority within the House was profoundly influential on the strategy and pace of her job, to a Victory programming panel where a community activist emphasized that avoiding burnout involves balancing your personal politic with what is truly actionable, I have learned countless lessons that will be valuable despite my intention to not return to the Hill.
As cliché as it sounds, this internship is truly an opportunity to receive as much as you put in. I sought to make the most of each week, regardless of the ever-changing challenges that came with it. When my energy lagged, I gave myself grace to network less and instead seek out fulfilling, restorative activities. When energized, I attended events after work and pursued opportunities to connect with fellow interns. While this internship is unfortunately ending on an upsetting note, it has reminded me of my resiliency, preparing me for the inevitable ebbs and flows of my future career. I am eternally grateful to be moving into the next stage of my life with the knowledge gained, skills developed, and friendships formed after the last two months.
