Eli Wade-Scott '10

Senator Tom Harkin's Office, Cedar Rapids, IA

In March of 2009, Eli Wade-Scott interned at Senator Tom Harkin's Office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Wade-Scott spent the majority of his time working on casework in a wide range of areas, including Social Security, Veteran’s Affairs, Immigration, Passports and others. He received calls from constituents, agency contacts, and other caseworkers, and contacted them through formal letters and calls.

Says Wade-Scott, "Of the departments at Cornell, the classes from the Politics department have been most helpful in laying the foundation for this internship. As is the case with most jobs, most of the information has to be learned on-site, however, without an understanding of the political system that I gained at Cornell, I would not have been able to work effectively. The higher level classes I have had in the Politics department, such as Public Policy, have also given me an interesting perspective on the work of the legislators and agencies with whom I was involved."

"This internship was my first internship, and my first experience in a serious office setting. I learned a great number of general office skills, including using the fax machine and operating a multiple-line office phone system. While these skills might seem negligible, they have to be learned somewhere and I feel that most employers would expect someone to know them. To be able to learn them in a low-pressure setting was very valuable. I also gained a lot of experience in writing formal business letters, which constituted the majority of my work in the office. I learned a lot about both formatting the letters and choosing content and style."

"I also learned a great deal about how the government serves the people at the local level. Before this internship, my experience with government had been limited to the DMV and voting in elections. It was a surprise to learn that Congressional offices provide so many services to constituents, from flag ordering to employment issues. They serve as the connection between constituents and almost any government agency. I feel that they are underused as a resource.  The local offices are able to assist with those issues and help constituents sort through the government. "

Click here to read Eli's internship blog.