Jane Lindenfelser

Washington D.C. Summer Internship Program Summer 2003

Jane interned at Congresswoman Betty MCCollum's (Minnesota, 4th District) Washington,D.C. office, located at 1029 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. 20515.

Betty McCollum is a Democrat serving her second term in Congress representing Minnesota's Fourth District.  Some of Jane's responsibilities in Congresswoman McCollum's office included opening, sorting, and delivering mail; preparing outgoing mail; checking and routing email messages; and sorting, scanning and entering form letters into the completer mail database. 

In between processing form letters and folding constituent responses, Jane was able to observe the inner-workings of the office very carefully.  She was able to observe the difference between a Congressional office during session and during recess.  The fast pace, high stress, political environment was one that took time to get accustomed to.  In addition to the fast pace, Jane observed that everything that happens in a congressional office has a process and every process is extremely important, both to the office and for interns.

Jane discovered that anyone can get involved in the legislative process. Jane also discovered that the Hill is not the only arena for political careers.  Lobbyists, Governmental Agencies, Think Tanks, NGO's and District Offices provide an abundance of political opportunities for aspiring career searchers.