Leadership Insitute offers "The best internship in Washington D.C."
For me, summer “vacation” is an oxymoron. My three month breaks from college are usually filled cashiering at Target, making pizzas at Davanni’s, or folding sweaters at Kohl’s. These are not strategic career moves by any means, but they help keep me afloat financially, while I pursue my real love: politics!
Over the last few years as I’ve become more involved in conservative activism, I’ve learned that the word “intern” in the political world basically means “special volunteer.” You work hard, have fun, and learn a lot, but you’re not on the payroll. That is why I am always subsidizing my political addiction by other means. But I’ve always thought that my life would be very nearly perfect if I could fight for the Right and get paid for it too! Thanks to the Leadership Institute (LI) in Washington DC, I got my wish.
When I received a brochure for the intern program at a 2005 Youth Leadership School (LI’s “Political Boot Camp” training) held in Minneapolis, I was beyond intrigued. A monthly stipend, free living space in a six bedroom colonial home, an endless array of free conservative training workshops, and quite a decent amount of free food! What more could a poor, politically-minded college student ask for? Internships like this do not exist in Washington DC, so I knew I had hit the jackpot!
My expectations that this summer internship would be the experience of a lifetime did not go unmet.
From eleven different states and ten different college campuses, each member of the summer ’07 Leadership Institute intern class traveled to DC for the opportunity to participate in LI’s highly competitive 12-week internship program. From our very first day with LI, there was never a dull moment. We participated in so many truly life-changing experiences in such a short time, I routinely found myself thinking “I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried!”
Honestly, eleven interns living under one roof, working at the same office, and sharing two bathrooms for twelve weeks—that sounds like the makings of an excellent reality TV show! I have regretted many times that I did not pitch the idea to Fox. Forget “Real World: Denver” and “Big Brother;” conservative interns in DC are the ones who really live interesting lives.
Looking back on the summer I spent with the 10 other Leadership Institute interns, I can attest to the fact that not a single one of us is “normal.” “Normal” college students spend their summer vacation on a beach somewhere, but as LI’s president Morton Blackwell says, “Tanned and rested we are not.” In our “abnormal” state of political-mindedness, we preferred to spend our three-month break from college shoulder-deep in the trenches of conservative activism and training.
During my time at the Leadership Institute, there was no such thing as a typical workday for an intern. From meetings on Capitol Hill to running recruitment tables at conservative conferences, the internship ran the gamut – and I absolutely loved it!
With this intern group, there was never a lackluster or predictable weekend either. Even when just relaxing in the living room of the Intern House it was not unusual for us to watch a documentary on Ann Coulter or a black and white John Wayne movie about the threat of communism. In our time off, it was not uncommon for us to participate in conservative training, attend political events, and network with interns from other conservative groups such as Clare Booth Luce Policy Institute, Americans for Prosperity, and FreedomWorks.
It didn’t bother me one bit that I did not surf any waves or catch any sun rays this summer. I’m proud to have spent my vacation fighting for conservative principles. I attended more galas, rallies, dinners, protests, and trainings than I ever have before. I met Ed Meese, Rick Santorum, Chris Matthews, Ann Coulter and 2008 presidential candidate Fred Thompson– honestly, could life get better? I submit that it could not!
I experienced more in three months than some people do in a lifetime. It does not surprise me at all when Washington insiders and political big-wigs declare that the Leadership Institute has “the best internship in DC!”
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