Dispatches From the Hill
Justine Cenzer ’18, Office of Sen. Dianne Feinstein
Majors:
Policy management and economics.
How I got this internship:
I applied through the senator's website and, after an interview and a lot of waiting, I got a call.
What I do, day to day:
Part of what I love about this internship is that every day is different. Most days, I work on some kind of research project—I might be analyzing a bill the senator might want to co-sponsor or looking into an issue a constituent has written in about. Other days, I might run around the Hill, collecting signatures, or go to briefings hosted by various committees and lobbying groups, and then write up reports for the legislative assistant.
Previous internships:
In high school I interned in a local lawyer’s office, and the summer after my freshman year of college, I interned in Governor [Jerry] Brown's office. I definitely hope to intern next summer somewhere in D.C.—hopefully the White House or State Department—but that just depends on what opportunities arise over the next year.
Most valuable part of this experience:
Getting to work with people who are doing the job I hope to do one day. This really helped me to realize that I want to work in politics in D.C., and I learned so many things that will help me get there.
Advice for students considering internships:
I absolutely recommend doing an internship. Whether or not you decide to go into the field you are interning in, the skills you learn and experience you gain are still valuable, and it's just as important to learn the things you don't like as the things you do. Internships also are a great opportunity to expand your network and test the waters for an area you think you want to work in without having to commit your life to that particular area.
How this internship has helped me:
This internship really helped me to realize that I want to go to law school in D.C.
Post-Dickinson plans:
After graduating from Dickinson, my dream is to go to Georgetown Law School part-time while working on the Hill. Once I finish law school, I want to work my way up to be a legislative director in a senator’s office, and then maybe try and run for office myself. But we'll have to see about the last one.
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Published August 2, 2016