When I hopped on a plane departing from Reagan National Airport in December 2013, I knew I wasn’t leaving D.C. for the final time. After spending a semester studying and interning in the District through the Lutheran College Washington Semester, I was confident that I wanted to return to Washington at some point, but I knew figuring out my return would be a long row to hoe. It’s funny how things work out. By the grace of God, the opportunity to take part in the inaugural CAPS Fellows Program presented itself to me, and here I am – back in the District of Columbia.
Okay, enough with the nostalgic romanticizing. Let’s talk about how I am actually spending my summer. My CAPS Fellows placement has slotted me as the Public Policy and Advocacy Intern at a health and human services network organization called Lutheran Services in America. LSA is a network with over 300 service providers all across the United States and even in the Caribbean. My position supports Bob Francis, LSA’s director of public policy and advocacy.
Let me interject by saying my experience to the world of public policy was very limited prior to this summer. My fields of study at Valpo are primarily communication and theology, so I was nervous at the prospects of navigating uncharted waters this summer. Regardless, I recognized an amazing opportunity to “expand my portfolio” and get great experience in a new area – advocacy and policy, specifically relating to health and human service provision.
CAPS Fellow Caleb Rollins enjoys an apple for lunch near the Capitol, across the street from LSA’s offices.
Our daily commute involves a trip on the Metro.
Even with a lack of experience in the policy world, the opportunity to take part in the work of a social ministry organization liked LSA was something I jumped at. My experiences at Valpo have cultivated in me a passion for seeing God’s work done in the world – a passion for caring for the least of these (Matthew 25:40), speaking up for the voiceless (Proverbs 31:8-9), giving generously (Deuteronomy 15:10) and in everything, being involved in work which reflected the character of God (Psalm 68:4-5). LSA appeared, and has proven to be, an organization involved in such work.
In my first several weeks as the policy intern, I have been able to take advantage of LSA’s unique position by “sitting at multiple tables” in the D.C. world. In fact, on my very first day, I attended meetings at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with LSA’s Disability Network (LSA-DN) members, where I quickly learned that learning to speak the language of acronyms would be helpful for this internship. My first week also included a quarterly LSA staff meeting and a visit to one of LSA’s local members, Lutheran Social Services of the National Capital Area (LSS-NCA), to learn more about their programs and services.
The main project I have worked on thus far involves an analysis of LSA’s social media advocacy efforts, evaluating the current presence and researching best practices from similar organizations in their use of social media for advocacy purposes. Another part of my internship responsibilities includes attending legislative briefings, Congressional hearings, and other meetings on behalf of LSA.
Sitting between the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial, the National World War II Memorial is one of D.C.’s newest monuments.
A few of these meetings from the first few weeks particularly stand out. This past Monday, fellow CAPS fellow Caleb Rollins (how about that phrasing?), and I attended a White House briefing on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for Faith and Other-Community Based Organizations, where White House and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials thanked leaders for their work in educating and enrolling people in Health Insurance Marketplaces across the country. I recently attended a House Budget Committee (chaired by Rep. Paul Ryan) hearing on the “War on Poverty” several weeks ago. And just this past Wednesday, I attended a briefing hosted by a coalition called Advocates For Families First, who recently released their first public policy agenda with legislative recommendations for adoptive, kinship, and foster care policies.
Needless to say, the first part of the internship has been a whirlwind and each day is a learning experience in itself. I can also say that my internship experience the second time around has been quite different from the first. Making the switch from the government side to the non-profit world has given me a different perspective on the D.C. arena and the challenges that come with non-profit work. I am thankful to be working in support of Bob Francis, LSA’s policy director. Bob is a wellspring of knowledge in the policy arena and many other areas, and just getting to meet with him is a promise of boatload of information and thoughtful perspective for me to consider.
Nearly to the halfway point of the summer, looking back at all I have experienced thus far almost makes me giddy – D.C. is an incredible city to live in! Beyond all of the opportunities at work, summer adventures have included exploration of Georgetown, taking in the monuments at night, wandering through the United States Botanic Gardens, a trip to Nationals Park, watching the U.S. play Germany at a viewing party in Dupont Circle and of course, checking out a couple of museums.
Can’t wait to see what the rest of the summer holds – to God be the glory!
US Marine Corps War Memorial, better known as the Iwo Jima Memorial, at sundown.