Final blog post – Friday 25th February, Mariah Spronk
It’s the end of our last week in Washington as the WIP internships have officially drawn to a close. It was a bittersweet moment walking past the Capitol Building this morning for my last day in the office; while I wish I could stay longer to continue this incredible experience, I’m still grateful for the time I’ve had here.
We’ve been witness to some unique moments in history during our short time here, not least of all the breaking news of Russia invading Ukraine in recent days. My office has already had some vocal members of the public calling in during the two days since the announcement to voice their concerns on the crisis and give us their conflicting opinions on what the US response should be. Although it would have been interesting to see the unfolding situation from the halls of US Congress over the following weeks, it’ll be interesting to get a comparative perspective of the events from Australia once we return home.
The unique perspective we’ve had on the unfolding crisis in Ukraine from our congressional offices, not just over the past few days but during the entire duration of our internships, is just another example of how valuable the Washington Internship Program is. You never know what historic world events might unfold during the Washington Internship Program, and being able to witness those events from within the global centre of power that is the US Congress is an experience unlike anything else.
Mariah in front of Representative Bill Long’s office.
