Students discuss how internships prepare them for post-college life

UVU’s Career Development Center has compiled a detailed list of jobs and internships in Utah and throughout the nation with the goal of providing UVU students a better opportunity to succeed after college. Two of UVU’s students, Abdul Kalumbi and Rachel McKinley, have recently benefited from UVU’s internship opportunities and are currently learning and making a difference as interns for the office of Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, in Washington D.C.

Abdul Kalumbi and Rachel (LAST NAME?) have been interning for Senator Orrin G. Hatch since the beginning of January

Mckinley, a sophomore and political science major, and Kalumbi, a graduating entrepreneurship major, began their internships in D.C. at the start of spring semester. They have learned how to write briefs and speeches for the senator, research bills that have been proposed in Congress, have unlimited access to and give tours of the Capitol to tourists and much more.

McKinley and Kalumbi each elaborated on the different duties they were given as interns working for the Senator.

“I work with the press team so anything regarding social media, like [Senator Hatch’s] Twitter, Instagram, etc. Or I work with any articles that mention him; so, I pretty much handle finding things on the news that mention him. … I brief that, and then I give him the news for the day. I also manage his website,” McKinley said.

“I work under the portfolios of banking, finance, trade and tax,” Kalumbi said. “Since tax reform was done last December, we don’t have much to do with that. Right now we’re focusing on banking reform, so [we’re] producing some opinion articles and speeches for the senator to present on the floor.”

All interns working on Capitol Hill live in convenient housing in Arlington, Va. The commute isa short metro train ride away, and they always have the opportunity to walk past historical landmarks such as the Library of Congress, the Supreme Court, the Capitol and the Smithsonian Mall on their way to the office.

“I’d say that my favorite part is just the everyday interactions with really important people and feeling like we’re influential, and we’re serving our state. I [also] really like the busy city life. I enjoy commuting [and] I just think it’s exciting to live here,” Mckinley said.

Overall both interns feel that their experience working on Capitol Hill has helped them to become more prepared and desirable candidates for the job market. While McKinley is still unsure about what she wants to do for a specific career after graduation, Kalumbi, who’s graduating this May, believes he found a new passion for politics and expects this internship to be a beneficial launching point for his career.

“This is my last semester and I really like my experience here. I like the work I’m doing so I’m looking forward to working in the government sector, Kalumbi said. “I think this experience will help to be a catalyst to better opportunities.”