Meet New People
Written by Aubrey Neal
This article is part of a semester-long series following Aubrey Neal’s experiences in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP). WHIP provides Hillsdale College students the opportunity to participate in semester-long internships in D.C. while taking classes at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center.
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Meeting people in D.C. happens for one of two reasons, either networking or relationships. The former is much more common than the latter. Being a small town native, one of my goals for WHIP was to meet a lot of young people in the city in order to learn about their lifestyles and to see if it is a lifestyle that I would want to live after graduation. As it turns out, meeting those people is a challenge. People move with a purpose, and they know other people for a purpose, so fitting yourself into that equation can be tricky. However, as the saying goes, if there’s a will, there’s a way.
First, you need to get out of your room. If it is a weekend, go to a social event. Events take place every night of every week, and most of them will get you further ahead in the city. Although you may doubt it, it is important that you are over 21 when you come here because many people go out to a restaurant or bar for social time. Even if you do not like to drink, a lot of the bars and restaurants require you to be over 21 after 6:00 pm. This is the perfect opportunity for you to talk with your co-workers or fellow interns. You may feel awkward when you first walk through the door, but act confidently, give off the impression that you belong, and before you know it, you will be meeting new people and surprising yourself along the way.
Second, be the person to give the stranger directions. Today, I was walking home after work in front of Union Station, and a gentleman was trying to get information on the location of a restaurant. Instead of walking by and ignoring him, I stopped and helped him. His destination was in the same direction as mine, so we started up a conversation about our purposes for being in D.C. During our walk, he gave me insight into how to establish a career in the city and how to stand out to an employer. His main advice was to act genuinely and to actually care about the people around you. Reaching the point where our paths divided, he said that if I ever need anything or if I ever want to talk more about his experience in Washington, to give him a call and he would treat me to coffee. He then handed me his business card, shook my hand, and walked toward his restaurant. Turning to cross the street, I glanced at his card and discovered that he is the Executive Director of the US Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public and Intergovernmental Affairs. Long story short, I cannot wait to take him up on his offer.
Lastly, use your network to expand your network. My roommate is part of the Koch Internship Program and was invited by one of the other interns to a Super Bowl party last weekend. Even though she barely knew the other intern and neither of us really care about football, she invited me to go with her, and we took the chance. It ended up being one of our best nights in D.C. We met a whole group of like-minded interns who are now some of our go-to people to hangout with on the weekends, and we are getting to experience this city in new ways through that outlet.
You have to reach outside of your comfort zone, but you also have to remember that you are starting from scratch with these people. They don’t know you or your background. If it goes poorly and doesn’t work out, you will never see them again. If it goes really well, you can make a great friend and even a better connection to a possible job in the future. You never know who may end up shaking your hand, so don’t be afraid to go out and meet new people.
Aubrey Neal is a junior at Hillsdale College, majoring in Political Economy. She is currently a participant in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, interning in the public policy department at FreedomWorks. Originally from the mountains of Northern Idaho, Aubrey is excited to share her numerous new experiences and opportunities from the capitol with Hillsdale and its supporters.