Interning in the nation’s capital could seem daunting for some, but for Jack it was a dream come true. Colbert started his internship with US Senator Ben Cardin in May 2019. Cardin is a US Senator first elected in 2006, previously Cardin was a US Representative for Maryland’s 3rd congressional district. Colbert took this internship to hopefully give him confidence and experience to pursue his goals in working in the government.
Colbert started his internship with uncertainties about what he would gain and how he would perform, but these quickly subsided once he got into the groove of government. He found himself busy gaining insight from senatorial hearings and briefings. Some of the work Colbert helped Cardin with involved writing back to and meeting with constituents. This personal contact helped facilitate communication between the public and their representatives. While interning for the senator Colbert picked up skills he didn’t expect to, throughout the summer Colbert improved his formal writing abilities as well as his technological competencies with programs such as excel. Colbert got to meet many different people in the office by processing and delivering their mail.
Colbert helped boost Cardin’s social media presence by making posts on behalf of the senator. One of Colbert’s more memorable days was when he was tasked with a social media campaign taking pictures of an Orioles bobblehead in various places around the capital. Colbert spent the day walking to landmarks with the sole purpose of getting memorable images for the Senators social media platforms.
Interning for Senator Cardin, Colbert gained insight on what it is like to work in government on the grandest scale. Being an intern for such a big office could be intimidating at first but Colbert was surprised at how nice Senator Cardin was and how well he welcomed Colbert.
Interning on Capitol Hill gave Colbert experience and insight into the innerworkings of government, furthering his career goals. When Colbert was asked how this internship helped him, he replied, “Working on Capitol Hill this summer provided me with the confidence to pursue policy at the federal level.”
Who knows what life has in store for Colbert, but with the knowledge he gained from this internship he is ready to take on the world.
