Written by: Emily Pliscott, Agricultural Communication & Marketing and Applied Economics Major Hometown: Kenyon, Minnesota After I finished the spring semester, I hopped on a plane with two suitcases and took off for the summer. I lived in Washington, DC for three months while I interned for National Farmers Union, a grassroots farm organization that advocated for farmers in Congress. During this internship, I dived into government relations, membership, and education for the organization. My responsibilities ranged from completing accounting tasks to attending committee meetings on Capitol Hill. I was amazed each day as I walked past a clear view of the U.S. Capitol on my way to work. I spent an entire summer in the place “where it happens” and was on the same block as large news stations that broadcasted all the way back home. I was able to meet people who were working in all my interest areas, from economics to policy to dairy, and sat down to coffee with professionals who seemed excited to get to know a student interested in their career fields. While so many pieces were exciting and even overwhelming, it was also a strange transition from small town Minnesota. The work and even the traffic walking down the street was faster paced, and I had to read daily news to keep up to date on the issues we focused on in the office. Throughout this summer, I learned more about the legislative process in Washington, DC and how an organization served its members. Even more, I realized the importance of having farmers and people in rural communities speak out to impact policy. The people elected to represent us are human too, and real stories and real people influence their decisions to create a better life for all Americans, especially the rural Americans.
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January 2020
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