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Like other members of the Class of 2017, I rejoiced at the end of finals last May. All my hard work over the previous four months had paid off and I was quite proud of my performance. Little did I know, the grueling late-night hours in Olin were just beginning. After a brief respite at home, I returned to Wesleyan for Summer Session in June. I took 2.5 credits—Foreign Policy at the Movies (GOVT 387), Principles of Biology (BIO 181), and Principles of Biology Lab (BIO 191). Adding to the difficult nature of these accelerated courses was the experience of cooking for myself. (I’ll leave the story of how I almost started a fire in Alpha Delt’s kitchen for another blog post.) Altogether, the experience was extremely rewarding—I now have the opportunity to graduate a semester early or spend more time on my thesis senior year.
In July, I shipped off to Washington, D.C. to intern with Congressman Sander Levin (MI-09). In addition to responding to constituent letters and leading tours around the Capitol, I wrote memos for Rep. Levin and his staff on briefings, hearings, and important pieces of legislation. The office was continually a flurry of activity with lobbyists, legislative assistants, and high-ranking members of Congress always stopping by for a visit. While my life’s work likely won’t focus on politics, having a firsthand experience of how our nation runs will benefit me in whatever field I choose to pursue.
I finished my summer by serving as an Orientation Leader for incoming first year students, including 43 new members of the Class of 2017! Although I wore the same red shirt for about a week straight, knowing that I helped lay the foundation for so many students’ success at Wesleyan made every moment worthwhile.
