![]() ![]() I asked our server to put my appetizer on a separate check, prompting confused looks from my fellow interns, who were apparently shocked that I didn’t have the money. When the bill came, everyone expected to split the check, totaling more than $50 per person. As my co-workers ordered fancy entrées like steak or pasta with cocktails, I opted for a $12 appetizer (no drink) to save money. One night, when I did manage to join a group of fellow interns for dinner, I learned just how different my experience was from that of my peers. ![]() Meanwhile, my more affluent peers - who I soon learned made up the bulk of the congressional interns - had time at the end of the day to network and get ahead. While I worked nights and weekends, completely burnt out before I even arrived at the office on Monday mornings, I also missed out on key intern experiences, like grabbing lunch with co-workers, attending policy briefings, and networking after work hours. I’d think about taking an Uber or Lyft home but ultimately opt to walk once I realized the cost of a ride was equal to an hour of work. ![]() I would leave J.Crew, grab a quick bite, and head back to the bar for my shift. The job served two purposes: an hourly wage and discounts on the professional clothing I needed for the Hill. Weekends were for both morning and afternoon shifts at J.Crew. ![]() For students coming from low-income households like mine, an unpaid internship just isn’t in the cards.Īfter leaving my congressional office, where I interned for 40 hours per week, I would walk across the street to my job at a local bar. The costs of interning in DC for a summer can total up to $10,000, including an apartment, travel, professional clothing, metro cards, food, and course credit. But my enthusiasm quickly turned to anxiety upon learning the internship was unpaid. I was beyond excited to finally get a chance to explore what my passion for politics looked like in the real world. It’s rare for someone like me - coming from a single-parent household with no political connections - to be able to land such a coveted position. The problem is especially pronounced for congressional interns, who for nearly 25 years universally went without pay. Magazine ranked Washington the fifth least affordable city in the United States, demanding an average salary of more than $90,000 to live comfortably. Many young people who aspire to work in public service find that being able to afford to live in Washington can be even tougher than getting the job on Capitol Hill itself. Unless you have the financial means to make an unpaid internship work, Washington, DC, might not be for you. What I learned is that the much more challenging piece is doing what it takes to keep it. I’d always thought the hardest part about one of these exclusive congressional internships would be getting it. I served as a bartender at night and worked retail on the weekends just to make my full-time and unpaid role possible. What I didn’t expect was that to make my summer in Washington a reality, I’d be taking out student loans and working two additional part-time jobs. Five years ago, I secured my dream internship: a position on Capitol Hill working for a senior Texas Congress member. ![]()
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