During the summer of 2021, I had the amazing opportunity to work for my local State Representative, Rob Mercuri of Pennsylvania’s 28th legislative district. When Rep. Mercuri approached me during the previous winter about interning at his office, I jumped at the chance to learn from this experience. I was even able to apply to get credit towards my major with my internship.
I started the internship in June of 2021. I learned how to use the systems to track data, how to record constituent complaints and suggestions, and how to reply to constituent inquiries. It was interesting to see over the course of my time at Rep. Mercuri’s office the different viewpoints on the same issue. The office is located in an area where I have spent a lot of time, and I had not considered the different opinions and viewpoints of all the people that live in District 28. Through responding to constituents, I was able to learn a lot about current events, local government, and the happenings at the country’s capital.
Throughout my internship, I worked on many projects, one of which was called the New Resident’s Guide. This guide was to be sent out to constituents who had recently moved into the district and consisted of hotline numbers, school districts, places of worship, emergency services, and many other items with their contact information. I worked on this project from start to finish utilizing many different platforms to create a booklet for new constituents. We were able to send out these guides to over 180 new constituents when it was finished. I also had the opportunity to go to the state capitol in Harrisburg, PA. I got a tour of the capitol, met with Rep. Mercuri’s Harrisburg office staff, and sat in the balcony on the House Floor to be recognized by the Speaker of the House. Towards the end of my visit, I got a glimpse of a protest inside the capitol building rotunda. It was interesting to be exposed to that since I had never seen one in person before.
I learned a lot through this internship that I will be looking back to throughout my time at college as well as after school. Internships are an amazing way to get workplace experience and also to figure what careers you may have an interest in. Many companies offer internships, and Grove City College is eager to work with you to help you find them. I am so thankful for the opportunity to work for Rep. Mercuri and get college credits at Grove City for my work.
Every year, Grove City College hosts a Career Fair where companies come to our campus and meet with students to tell them about potential jobs and internships to apply for. I was able to attend the 2021 Career Fair this past week, and it was a great experience in learning how to develop a resume as well as how to talk with potential employers. Even if I was not sure what I was interested in, I tried to get as much information as possible if I wanted to look into those companies later. I highly encourage college students as well as high school students to take advantage of any internship opportunities available to them.
