Although I had an extremely ambitious agenda to tackle over the summer, the bulk of my time was spent either at or traveling to my internship. Along with two other graduate students, I interned with the Office of Community Services (OCS) in Washington, DC. OCS was an office within Health and Human Services Administration for Children & Families. I was specifically assigned to the wonderful Division of State Assistance (DSA).

OCS primary mission was to alleviate and eradicate the causes and consequences of poverty and to assist individuals, families and communities to become more self-sufficient. OCS implemented many programs to accomplish this mission.

As an intern, I mainly worked on the Community Services Block Grant Program. Community Services Block Grants provided funds from the federal government to states. States, in turn, distributed these funds to designated Community Action Agencies, who would then implement antipoverty programs and services. Numerous policies govern and complicate this process. There were too much to fully discuss here.

Needless to say, I was excited and enlightened by it all. I had to actually tone down my energy and idealism to fit the parameters and responsibilities of my position. Regrettably, I had to accept that I was not going to start a revolution from my 5th floor cubicle in the Aerospace Building. However, I did make valuable contributions. For example, I collaborated with a public policy intern from William and Mary (waz-up Stefanie) to develop the DSA Briefing Book for the new incoming administration.

My experience, of course, was not without problems. For strange reasons (probably due to a repressed trauma involving a train set), I thought taking the commuter train from Baltimore to DC would be this adventurous, scenic and, perhaps, romantic ride; an Indiana Jones meets Murder on the Orient Express kind of thing. Alas, my adventures were nothing like the Raiders of the Lost Ark. I encountered late, cancelled, and overcrowded trains. Without music and disco lights, the sweaty armpits in my face and bony elbows in my back did not facilitate an ambiance or a desire for romance. On many occasions, I did not reach Baltimore until about 2 or 3 hours after the scheduled time of arrival.

The internship, no doubt, was worth the minor difficulties. Although this may sound like an infomercial, the Federal Government offers great employment opportunities that do not necessarily feel or equate to “working for the man (or woman)”. You can, in fact, create change, albeit on a subdued revolutionary scale, from a 5th floor cubicle if you so desire.

together in the struggle…

until next write…