Student Story

When talking about working in the Senate in the future:

Now I have the skills and the knowledge to know I can do it.”

Aharon McKee is a senior at Catawba. He is originally from Travelers Rest, South Carolina and is a Political Science major with concentrations in both Pre-law and Public Administration.

During the Fall semester, Aharon had the opportunity to participate in an internship with the Victory Institute in Washington, DC. Victory Institute is a national organization dedicated to elevating openly LGBTQ+ leaders who can help further equality in all levels of government. Through this internship, undergrads are able to work alongside a member of the Congressional Equality Caucus or an LGBTQ+ friendly member of the U.S. Congress in order to learn about the federal legislative process and careers in policymaking.

Aharon first learned of the internship online. He was attracted to its benefits such as free housing, a living wage stipend, academic credit, and more. He applied, interviewed, and was accepted. He was then paired with Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen.

His work during the internship consisted of two components. The first component was working Monday through Thursday from 9am to 5pm in the office with the Senator and her staff. Depending on the day, Aharon would attend committee meetings, take notes, and report back to the legislative staff on what’s relevant. He would sit in on Chamber meetings, listen to speeches, and report back on important votes. In the office, he would put in orders for graphic designs, answer phones, get mail, run errands, and give Capital tours. He would attend online meetings with office staff from the Senator’s various offices. He would also write back to Nevada constituents.

The second component was going to the Victory Institute headquarters on Fridays for Professional Development Workshops. There, he got to have headshots taken and learned how to write a proper resume. He was taught what he needed to highlight about himself and his experience to make him stand out. One of his favorite memories from working with Victory Institute was driving to a house in the suburbs and meeting with two individuals who shared their experiences with managing campaigns. They explained to Aharon and the other interns how to get involved in campaigning.

Aharon had several takeaways from his time in Washington. On a professional level, he learned how government works up close. He said, "We all have our ideas of how government works, but I actually got to see how it works.” He got to learn the roles of legislative staff and what’s expected of someone who wants to work in the Senate. On a personal level, he learned that he wants to engage in more personal and localized work. He wants to be more active in trying to help people. While he loved his work in DC and would love to continue his work there in the future, he looks forward to returning home to focus on local activism and policy making.

After his internship, Aharon feels like he knows how to navigate the system. He knows how to market himself and knows who to talk to. When talking about working in the Senate in the future, he said, “Now I have the skills and the knowledge to know I can do it.”