WHIPlash: Students Reflect on Interning for U.S. Senators
Written by Breana Noble
At the beginning of every semester and summer, a steady stream of Hillsdale students flows into Washington, D.C., to participate in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP).
“[WHIP] was one of the things that brought me to Hillsdale,” said Olivia Renfroe, ’15, who had the opportunity to intern for Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) last spring.
Those who participate in WHIP spend a semester in Washington, D.C., and take a few classes while working full time at an internship. Internship opportunities range from Capitol Hill to newsrooms to hospitals.
Nearly every year, several students end up working in the offices of U.S. senators. Ian Fury, ’15, had the opportunity to work in the office of Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX). Fury, as a Political Economics major, was excited to be working for a senator involved in America’s tax policy, especially in support of the flat tax.
Cody Jessup, ’15, participated in WHIP as well during the fall of 2013. Jessup interned for one of his senators, Jim Risch (R-ID).
Although the internships mostly consisted of, in the words of Jessup, “bottom of the totem pole” work such as sorting mail, handling phone calls, giving constituents tours of the Capitol Building, running errands, and researching current events and issues, the students said that the experience was an invaluable learning opportunity.
“The Capitol is just beautiful, and there is so much history in it. Basically, every little thing there has its own story. Even something as simple as this one spot in the Capitol Rotunda where there’s a few cat prints on the floor. There are all sorts of stories as to why they’re there,” Fury explained.
(He added that the most likely story is that mice got into the building during the Civil War while arms were being stored there, so Capitol staff released cats to catch the rodents.)
“To be able to show the little kids the rich history and to spark their imagination and patriotism was so exciting,” Renfroe said. “I also got to give tours to servicemen who were in town, and that was just an honor to do.”
During their time in D.C., interns also witnessed some historic events of their own.
Fury was in Cruz’s office when Cruz undertook his twenty-one-hour filibuster against the Affordable Care Act and described the “frenzy” that he experienced.
“There’s something exhilarating in staying up all night and into the next morning listening to your boss give a twenty-one-hour filibuster,” Fury said. “That was incredibly uplifting to see a leader willing to do that in pursuit of a cause.”
Of course, actually getting an internship in D.C. is part of the overall experience. Students working in senators’ offices applied through the individual senators’ websites and had to submit a cover letter, a resume, letters of recommendation, and statements of political leanings.
Hillsdale College’s Career Services office helped all three of these students with their application process. Career Services employees help students to revise and format their resumes and cover letters in order to create the strongest application. Career Services also helps some students to find their internships in D.C.
“[WHIP leaders] suggested to Career Services that they encourage Hillsdale students to apply to Senator Cruz’s office,” Fury said. “It wasn’t until Career Services told me that [Cruz’s office was] looking for Hillsdale students that I really made up my mind.”
Applying is just the start of the experience, however. The real work began when the internships got underway. Fortunately for these students, Hillsdale had prepared them well for the challenge.
“[Hillsdale taught] me how to support what I believe in and why I believe in the things I do, and why those things are worth fighting for. [In D.C.], I learned that it’s hard fighting for conservative principles, but it’s worth it,” Fury said.
“I could tell there was a difference in work ethic at Hillsdale,” Renfroe said. “You reason through things instead of just being an empty vessel of robotic work. It was clear that other interns on the Hill were not equipped for a hard-working environment.”
Students’ educations also benefit from D.C.’s rich environment. WHIP students are required to take at least two courses at Hillsdale’s Kirby Center, where Renfroe was fortunate enough to have an official from the Pentagon teach her class on national security. Even when not working, in class, or studying, these busy interns had a whole city with a “wealth of knowledge at their fingertips,” as Renfroe explained.
“I loved living in D.C. itself,” Fury said. “[The WHIP House was] only five blocks from my Senate office, two blocks from the Kirby Center, maybe four blocks from Union Station. You can see something new every day. My favorite thing to do was go for runs around the Mall, and it was incredible to see so much history while doing something as everyday as going running.”
Interns loved exploring the museums and sites that D.C. has to offer. Jessup especially enjoyed exploring the Capitol Building, particularly areas where normal tourists cannot go, such as the third floor areas for newscasters and the Senate floor itself.
Looking back, all three students agree that WHIP and interning in D.C. can be beneficial for any student, regardless of major.
“There’s really not much more you can do to train yourself for the real world than living in the real world and working a job full-time for a semester,” Fury said. “You can talk theory all you want in college, but getting into the real world is entirely different, and that experience is invaluable.”
These veteran students encouraged those entering the WHIP program to go in with an open mind. Jessup recommends that students be confident in their abilities, but not too overbearing, and willing to learn new skills.
“Have an explorer’s mindset,” Jessup explained. “If you don’t know something, go out and figure it out.”
Fury also warned about the potential antagonism of the D.C. political environment.
“I would caution anyone to realize that if they’re going to D.C., they’re going to a hostile environment, and a lot of things are not going to work out the way they wanted. We probably lost more battles than we won, but at the same time, you can’t let that detract from your experience. Just because you’re losing the battle, doesn’t mean it’s not worth fighting,” Fury said.
Breana Noble is a freshman at Hillsdale College with a desire to study Politics and Journalism. She is writing for “The Collegian” newspaper at Hillsdale and works as an assistant in the Hillsdale College Athletics office. Breana is also involved in swing dancing, the Young Americans for Freedom, the College Republicans and the Nest Bible Study.