My experience interning in the Office of Congressman Gerry Connolly while pursuing my MA from the Global Affairs degree program has been both challenging and eye-opening. Since the start, my time with the office has been a whirlwind. Instead of beginning on my original start date, the District Office Director called me and asked about starting work a day early to assist with a constituent discussion event being hosted by the Congressman. As with many other opportunities during my time in university, the timing was not exactly perfect, but the opportunity was too good to let the chance go. So, I said yes! The event ended up being a great way to meet the staffers and another new intern in the district office while observing an engaging community event with the Congressman.
In addition to working in the Fairfax District Office, as an intern, I was given the opportunity to visit the Capitol Hill Office on occasion. My most memorable day on the Hill was shadowing a Congressional staffer at a hearing session for the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. After reviewing the hearing binder and learning about the Congressman’s tools for staying updated on the issues, I was able to observe the hearing from behind Congressman Connolly’s podium, where we were joined by House rising member, Representative Kweisi Mfume, and fellow democrats, Representative Rashida Tlaib (the first Palestinian American to serve in Congress), and Representative Maxwell Frost (the youngest member of Congress at age 27). These Congressional icons are a few of my top leadership role models, so watching them perform their amazing work in such a close capacity was an absolutely incredible experience.
Another one of my favorite parts about the internship, has been working on immigration casework in the district office. These cases have expanded my view of the immigration system beyond refugee resettlement assistance. The immigration casework in the district office is primarily focused in resolving any delays or other technical issues that may have occurred in the processing of complex immigration cases. In this way, our main points of contact are with USCIS, the National Visa Center, and US embassies and consulates around the world. This semester, I have learned that there are many other aspects to immigration just as complicated as the refugee migration process and I hope to continue working to simplify the immigration process for applicants in the near future.
Having travelled to East Asia with Fulbright in 2023 after completing my BA in Global Affairs (also at George Mason University), then returning back to the DMV area to take up an internship in a competitive field while completing the last semester of my MA program has been such a wonderful experience. None of these accomplishments would have been possible without the incredible Global Affairs program offerings at George Mason University. My advice for incoming students is to say yes to any great opportunities that may arise. The timing isn’t always going to be perfect and you may be faced with difficult decisions. That is why I encourage students to take advantage of the resources available while studying at George Mason. Visit the Office of Fellowships, drop by the Career Center, talk to your professors, and do not forget about the wonderful faculty in the Global Affairs Department. The Department knows many upcoming events, programs, and experienced professionals in the DC Metro area. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of staying up-to-date with the hard work that academic advisors, Virginia Holm and Erika Marquina, put into the weekly newsletters for graduate and undergraduate students in the program. So my advice is to stay updated, keep your connections, and just say yes!