Every political science major attending EMU must complete a semester-long or summer session at the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC) in order to graduate. Political science students will typically find an internship in policy, advocacy, and/or law to expand their knowledge and apply what they’ve learned in class to real life. However, every four years a political science student at WCSC will be able to experience what is the biggest political event in the United States: the presidential election.
This fall, Ella Brubaker and Caleb Stoltzfus, two political science and history students attending WCSC, have the unique experience of living in D.C. during what is considered to be the most important presidential election of their lives. They both sat down with the Weather Vane to share more about their D.C. internship experience and what it’s like to be in the nation’s capital during election season.
Brubaker is currently working as an advocacy intern with the Latin America Working Group (LAWG) where a major focus is placed on advocating for changes in policies that advance human rights, peace, and justice in Latin America. She’s found that her work has given her a nice balance of political science and history. “LAWG works with coalition partners and other allied organizations to educate policymakers and mobilize grassroots to influence policy makers,” she shared. “It relates to political science in the sense that LAWG is trying to impact the policy of the U.S. government and helping the public stay informed [and] it relates to history [through] our discussion and weekly news briefs.”
Stoltzfus is also spending his internship advocating for marginalized groups in and out of the United States. He’s at Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) working on immigration issues. “We are the lobbying wing of MCC, we go to Capitol Hill and advocate for our churches,” he shares. “We are a voice for the congregations that are a part of MCC.” Similarly to Brubaker, Stoltzfus feels he’s getting a lot out of his experience, especially as a political science major. “I have been able to go to Capitol Hill and lobby congressional staff, which for a political junkie like me has been an absolute dream come true.”
Considering that their internships overlap with the U.S. government, both have felt the effects of the election at their jobs. “We have had a harder time getting stuff done because the biggest concern is the election,” Stoltzfus said. He shared that no one wants to get in the way of re-election or bring up “small issues” in the wake of this busy season.
Brubaker shared that she feels a sense of urgency at LAWG during election season. “Elections and changes in administration can impact policy and LAWG has to stay very aware of what is going on in order to decide how to respond.” She continued, “. . .there is an urgency to push the current administration to continue making changes and prepare for ways to advocate for human rights with the incoming administration.”
While they’re feeling the effects of the election at work, both Stoltzfus and Brubaker have still chosen to be active in politics outside of the office. Stoltzfus was one of 70,000 people who attended Kamala Harris’ D.C. rally on Oct. 29 and it was an experience he’ll never forget. “I am a strong supporter of [Harris] and it was a historic moment to be able to hear hopefully the first female president of the United States.”
Stoltzfus and Brubaker also attended the Women’s March on Nov. 2 to participate in a movement working to create a system that serves everyone. “I wanted to be in a place where people were doing something to stand for human rights,” Brubaker shared when discussing her experience at the march. “It is always electrifying to be in spaces where other people are passionate about the same thing. The feeling of standing together is special.”
Stoltzfus felt a similar feeling when attending, sharing his reasoning for going to march was “because we need to stand up and make sure to protect women’s rights. Even though I’m not a woman, my voice matters.”
Brubaker and Stoltzfus have found their time at WCSC to be productive. They’re working internships they enjoy, have grown to love Washington, D.C., and have been able to learn even more about U.S. politics, while also being active participants in the political system.
