Alumni Spotlight: Mark Meier
/Mark Meier interned in DC through the Washington Internship Institute in Spring 2017, shortly before graduating from Gustavus Adolphus College.
He recently shared his reflections on his semester spent interning on the hill in the office of Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence and his advice for current and future students:
What is your favorite DC memory?
My favorite memory of DC is that more than three and a half years later, I'm still here! I am still lucky enough to call this city home.
What is your best piece of advice for future interns?
Be hungry. It seems too cheesy to make (yet another) Hamilton reference, but this truly is 'your shot.' Be young (embrace being 20/21/22! Don't look at it as a liability), scrappy (take every coffee, every volunteer chance, every sleepless night applying for work or tweaking your resume), and hungry (if you're hunting full-time work, apply for dozens or hundreds of jobs). And as MY WII mentor shared with me: find your narrative.
How did your internship affect your career?
It introduced me to hundreds of other Washingtonians/prospective Washingtonians who were new in their careers or also hunting for work in the first month of the new administration. It also was the reason I relocated! A career in Minnesota vs. a career in DC.
What else would you like to share with students?
I can't imagine how difficult it is interning in DC right now. Staying safe and healthy is obviously the most important, and meeting new people, let alone staying connected with people you do know, is a mountain of a task. This is the time to get creative. Sometimes, the moment calls for launching a "draft presidential campaign" and a SuperPAC at age 22. Sometimes it calls for making a Facebook group of other college-aged interns who are in DC (or nationwide) to connect with one another and people in the same circumstance. Doors close; windows open. It is still possible to gain tremendous life skills and fall in love with this city.
Learn more about how we help students find internships in Washington, DC at the link below. If you are an alum of the program, head to our alumni page to find out how you can become more involved in our organization!
