Luther’s Washington Semester—a study-away program with a four-day-a-week internship at its core—offers many students their first real taste of working in government. Through interning with members of Congress, the D.C. Office of the Attorney General, the U.S. Department of Education, the Senate Agriculture Committee, and scores of other agencies, students get to try on a political career—and sometimes it fits. Over the past few decades, the Washington Semester has turned out graduates working at the local, state, and federal levels, as assistant attorney generals, as policy analysts and researchers, as location scouts for presidential candidates, and even as the secretary of the Senate.
The Washington Semester, which Luther offers in collaboration with 12 other Lutheran colleges, isn’t limited to politics; students can intern in communications, the arts, history and museum studies, economics and business, environmental studies, and more. But just ahead of the 2016 presidential election, it seemed a good time to check in with graduates of the program who are working in politics, policy, or public service to see what they could tell us about working in the political system that—love it or hate it—we call our own.
Heather Adams ’91
Assistant attorney general, Iowa Office of the Attorney General
Interned in the D.C. Office of the Corporation Counsel (now the D.C. Office of the Attorney General)
What are your job responsibilities?
I am the lead counsel for the Iowa Department of Public Health, a state agency employing 375 people with a budget of over $250 million. I advise on all areas of public health law—from immunizations to disease outbreaks to environmental health to maternal and child health issues—and I represent the department in administrative, district court, and appellate matters.
What was your most memorable day on the job?
The day the Iowa Supreme Court issued the Varnum decision, which ruled that denying same sex couples the right to marry in Iowa was unconstitutional, and the weeks following the issuance of that decision. I advised the department and county recorders on implementing Varnum to ensure marriage applications and certificates complied with the landmark decision.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
A former boss once told me that the least interesting thing I worked on that day was more interesting than the most interesting thing I would work on in a private law practice. Not to disparage private practice attorneys, who do excellent work and can of course have intriguing cases, but my advice for people hoping to work in government, politics, or policy would be to let that desire to effectuate change and help others be the driving force in your decision making, even if you won’t always have the paycheck those in the private sector might bring home. As the quote from [law professor] Minor Myers says: Go into the world and do well; but more importantly, go into the world and do good.
What happens behind the scenes that would surprise people who don’t work in politics?
What I see behind the scenes in Iowa is that people from both political parties really can work together to do good things for Iowans. The national dialogue is rife with incivility and dissension, but I work every day with people from both parties who share an interest in making Iowa a healthier and more just state and who strive to make it so.
Josh Straka ’97
District director for Minnesota Congresswoman Betty McCollum
Interned as a production assistant on Washington Week in Review
What are your current job responsibilities?
Day-to-day I manage Congresswoman McCollum’s Minnesota office operations, including casework and outreach staff, and serve as a liaison between the public and federal agencies. Additionally, I develop policy objectives, strategies and operating plans, and direct activities of the office in support of the congresswoman and her constituents.
Describe one or two accomplishments that make you proud.
The completion of the Union Depot renovation and the opening of the Green Line Light Rail in the Twin Cities are by no means my accomplishments, but I’m incredibly proud of the small role I played while working for Congresswoman McCollum. Thousands of workers were put to work to complete these projects during the depths of the recession. Now that they are open for business, tens of thousands of people depend on them every day to get to work, school, and medical appointments, not to mention Vikings, Twins, and St. Paul Saints games!
Do you have any advice for people hoping to work in politics?
Listen before you speak and remember whom you work for.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
I’d definitely dial back the vitriol in Washington and politics across the country. There’s too much vilification and exploitation of division in national politics, which is also bleeding into state houses. Debate is vital and healthy for our country, but rage, fury, and hateful rhetoric is not debate. It forces voices out of the process. We need to remember what brings us together as Americans.
Julie Adams ’99
Secretary of the Senate
Interned at the Children’s Defense Fund
What are your job responsibilities?
I am the chief legislative, financial, and administrative officer of the United States Senate. As an elected officer, I supervise an extensive array of offices (26 departments with nearly 250 employees) to expedite the day-to-day operations of the Senate.
What was your most memorable day on the job?
Certainly the day I was sworn in (January 6, 2015) by the president pro tempore, Senator Orrin Hatch, in the Senate chamber will forever be etched in my mind.
What’s the most frustrating aspect of your job?
It is not so much frustrating as it is just the reality that my schedule is not my own—whenever the Senate is in session, I am here. And when the Senate is not in session, I’m catching up on everything on my desk I couldn’t get to when the Senate was in session.
Do you have any advice for people hoping to work in politics?
Be open to opportunities. I never dreamed I would have any of the jobs I’ve had in the legislative and executive branches of the federal government. If I had planned my career in politics I know I would not be in the position I am today.
What happens behind the scenes that would surprise people who don’t work in politics?
Folks really do get along despite their political differences. Washington is not nearly as divisive as some make it out to be.
Mark Bailey ’00
Senior assistant attorney general, Colorado Office of the Attorney General
Interned with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia
What are your job responsibilities?
I work in the Consumer Fraud Unit, where I lead investigations and conduct civil law enforcement actions against people and companies that violate the Colorado Consumer Protection Act.
What has surprised you about working in politics?
I suspected that I would find this work rewarding. I am surprised by how strongly I feel that way.
What was your most memorable day on the job?
Probably my first trial. On our side, we had two lawyers at counsel table. Defendants had at least four, and up to six or seven lawyers, at counsel table at any given time. Having previously worked at a law firm, I learned quickly that government lawyers sometimes have to get by with less.
What’s the most frustrating aspect of your job?
The fact that our jurisdiction is generally limited to Colorado. Thus, if we shut down a scam here, we are limited in our ability to keep the bad guys from setting up shop in another state.
Describe one or two accomplishments that make you proud.
I’m most proud of the work I’ve done to shut down telemarketers who trick consumers—often elderly or otherwise at risk—into exorbitant “contracts” for magazine subscriptions. These “contracts” were often valued at more than $1,000, and it was normal for consumers to be bombarded by several different companies and tricked into multiple “contracts.”
. . . I’ve shut down about 50 such companies (most of which were owned by the same seven or eight individuals) in my time here and secured millions of dollars in judgments.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
Every voter would set aside a few hours a month to learn about the issues, and part of this time would be dedicated to respectfully listening to the arguments of people they disagree with.
I love my job when . . .
I stand up in court and say, “Mark Bailey, on behalf of the state of Colorado.”
Mitch Schaben ’10
Policy and budget analyst for the Office of the Senate President, Illinois Senate Democratic Caucus
Interned in Senator Tom Harkin’s legislative office and with the Senate Agriculture Committee
What are your job responsibilities?
The policy silo I work in is higher education. My primary responsibility is to write a detailed summary for every piece of legislation introduced that is categorized as impacting higher education . . . essentially, I write CliffsNotes for our caucus membership.
Describe one or two accomplishments that make you proud.
Two years ago, I worked on a proposal that would make it easier for students taking AP classes to gain college credit for the scores they received on the AP exam. The state’s public universities opposed the bill, and education interest groups supported the bill. I spent months engaging in a back-and-forth struggle with the two sides. Four redrafts and five amendments later, we had a bill that neither was happy with, so I knew we landed on a compromise.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
Public financing of campaigns. Money is access, which is why your average citizen never gets to meet or speak with their elected officials.
What happens behind the scenes that would surprise people who don’t work in politics?
The amount of back and forth that goes on behind the scenes with legislative proposals. Countless hours are spent by lawmakers, stakeholders, and staff making small tweaks to the language of a bill before it’s soup.
If I didn’t work in politics . . .
I would open a dive shop in Mexico and name it Norse Diving.
Magie Darling ’12
Senior research assistant, Center for Health Policy
Interned with the Department of Education
What are your job responsibilities?
I conduct literature reviews of relevant health care financing and health economics research, interview key health care stakeholders for background information and case studies, and write academic papers and blog posts. Our team also convenes private round tables and public events aimed at discussing the implementation of many of the policies about which we research and write.
What was your most memorable day on the job?
One of my most memorable days on the job was when I had the honor of presenting the PLEN Mentor Award to Senator Amy Klobuchar for her example of strong, collaborative leadership in public policy and for supporting future generations of women policymakers.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
I’d require people of all different political stripes to socialize and interact more. Today, it’s simply too easy only to hear affirmations of our previously held beliefs, and interacting with real-life humans on the other side may challenge us to reconsider.
What happens behind the scenes that would surprise people who don’t work in politics?
I think most people would be surprised—and, I hope, comforted—by the extent to which many policy proposals are circulated, vetted, considered, and reconsidered among a variety of stakeholders before being made public.
Ali Toal ’13
Legislative assistant for Colorado Senator Cory Gardner
Interned for Ohio Congressman Jim Renacci
What are your job responsibilities?
I serve as a liaison for the senator to constituents, organizations, and federal and state agencies in the policy areas in my portfolio including health care policy, social security disability insurance, education policy, veteran health, global health, foster care, and adoption. I actively work with committee staff, Senate colleagues, and various stakeholder groups to craft and progress legislation. I author floor speeches, vote recommendations, talking points, questions for the record, letters to federal agencies, and policy memorandums.
What was your most memorable day on the job?
The most memorable day on the job was probably the day I received a hand-written card from Senator Elizabeth Warren thanking me for my work on an amendment to the Every Student Succeeds Act we passed earlier this year. I couldn’t believe that she took the time to write that hand-written letter, and it meant a lot to me. I still need to get it framed.
Other notable days were being able to see the prime minister of Israel speak to a joint session of Congress on the Iran deal, getting to see Pope Francis when he came to Washington D.C., and watching the prime minister of India, Narenda Modi, speak to a joint session of Congress.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
Criminal justice reform and mental health reform.
What happens behind the scenes that would surprise people who don’t work in politics?
It’s not as serious and formal as most people would think. It’s a lot less House of Cards and a lot more Veep. We do have quite a bit of fun in our office and joke around.
Rich Vickers ’14
Political advance staff for Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign
Interned for Iowa Senator Tom Harkin
What are your job responsibilities?
Political advance is basically any time a candidate goes somewhere for a trip, whether it’s a campaign stop or a speech, a team of three to four people go ahead of them scope out the location and facilitate the event.
July 4 was my first trip in New Hampshire, and then I spent four months in Iowa. I was in charge of the event at the Hotel Winneshiek. I was what’s called a site lead. Basically, site leads go in and scope out different speaking options and compile a report of what might be benefits to certain locations. Then they work with the production crew and the vendors to figure out how the room’s going to be set up, where the stage is going to go, what kind of lighting and audio will be used, where the people will fit in. And then when the candidate is on site, the site leads provide context for her, where the stage is, what’s next after the speech, where the interview room is, things like that.
I was in Iowa for three or four months. At the end of January, when the caucus was over, I came back to D.C. and had 24 hours in D.C., and then they sent me to Las Vegas for another caucus. I was there for two or three weeks, and from there I traveled around primary states: North Carolina, then Pennsylvania, Ohio, San Francisco, Oregon, New Jersey, Kentucky, Wisconsin, New York, Florida—basically anywhere there was a primary.
What’s the most frustrating aspect of your job?
Often you have a lot of competing interests with how you set up events, and it can be tough to make sure that you get every person into the building, that your media is happy, because you might have 100 cameras at an event, and you have to make sure that not only does the stage look good but the local politicians at an event are taken care of and have time. There are a lot of politics within politics. There’s a microcosm of politics.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
Money in politics. It’s unfortunately a product of the times, and I think it’s clear to everyone that something needs to be done to limit the staggering amount of money required to win an election.
If I didn’t work in politics . . .
I would get a lot more sleep!
Sam Ward ’15
Member outreach and D.C. finance assistant, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
Interned for Iowa Congressman Bruce Braley
What are your job responsibilities?
My daily tasks involve working with members of Congress and their staff to facilitate their needs, fundraising for democratic campaigns around the country, and building and staffing D.C.-based events. In this role, I work for Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi and chairman of the DCCC, Congressman Ben Ray Luján.
What has surprised you about working in politics?
I think the most surprising thing is the people and how normal (albeit incredibly hardworking) they are. I think my affinity toward politics throughout my life glorified members and their staff, but as I’ve worked with them they’ve been humanized. As a random example, a senior Democratic member has an obsession for the entire McDonald’s food menu, and we actually send him milkshakes to his office whenever we need to send him a thank-you note. Knowing they are real people makes me hopeful for my career in politics.
What would you change about the U.S. political system?
Campaign finance reform.
I love my job *most* [Ward’s addition] when . . .
I've had an iced coffee and an easy commute.