Alumni Spotlight: Aarron Dupuis
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Here’s an Alumni Spotlight from Aarron Dupuis, a Spring 2016 alum who participated in our program during his senior year at Colby-Sawyer College. He interned in the US Senate at the office of Senator Kelly Ayotte. We reached out to him to share his story with us, here’s what he said:
What is your favorite DC memory?
”My favorite memory is the day that I got to shadow the Senator that I was working for for the entire day. I was able to sit behind her in committee hearings, march across the Capitol, meet other Senators, and walk with her to the Cloak Room and watch her give a speech on the Senate Floor through the doors of the Chamber. It was an incredible experience that I will never forget.”
What is your best piece of advice for future interns?
“Do everything! Take advantage of every opportunity given to you, visit all of the sites, visit places off the beaten path, take it all in. I learned so much about myself professionally and personally by doing everything I could during my time in DC. It really changed the direction of my life.”
How did your internship affect your career?
”It inspired me to enter a career of public service. I enjoyed working with people and my internship in a Senate office revealed the many ways that I could go forward in service to others in an official way. I now work for a nonprofit where we provide access and success programs for high schools students to plan for their future. Part of that support includes community engagement and advocating for resources from the local governments and even the Federal government. The skills and knowledge I gained during my internship have proved useful in this endeavor.”
What else would you like to share with us?
”I truly am grateful for the experiences that I had during my time in DC and I still think of it often. A few months ago, I was able to lobby on Capitol Hill for my current job and it felt like I had come full circle, having spent time learning the inner working of the Senate and then come back to apply that knowledge. I cannot speak highly enough of my experience and I love the program and enjoy seeing what the new class of interns are up on social media.”
Click the button below to learn more about how we help students find internships in DC. If you are an alum, head to our alumni page to find out how you can share your story or become involved with the program in other ways!
