Courtney Van Haaften | Co-Editor in Chief

Faith Prichard, a senior Communications Studies major and Political Science minor at Buena Vista University (BVU) has been in Washington, D.C. for the last few months as part of a semester-long internship through the Washington Center program. She is currently working at the Republican Governors Association (RGA) and was able to experience Election Day first hand early last week.

As an intern at RGA, Prichard does a lot of research on news clippings, helps draft press releases, and gathers daily news briefs from the national news as well as the states where there were gubernatorial races this year. On the night of the election, she had her most exciting experience thus far.

“It was so exciting to be there when races were being called before seeing them on CNN, Fox News, and the Associated Press. Also, it was great to see us do well in races that were really tight such as Kansas, Maine, and Florida, as well as pick up some states that have typically been led by Democrats, such as Massachusetts and Maryland,” Prichard said. “None of the other interns in my program, or even in the RGA had the opportunity to work late and experience elections being called.”

Overall, Prichard has really enjoyed her experience in Washington, D.C. so far. There have been many adjustments she has had to make, but they have provided her with learning experiences that wouldn’t be possible in the classroom.

“Being in D.C., commuting every day, and working in a very professional environment has meant a lot of adjustment. Just the day to day life at this internship is quite different from day to day at BVU,” Prichard said.

After graduation next May, Prichard is unsure of her plans. She wants to work in public relations and her overall goal is to work with and be a part of a national campaign.

“This election was huge, and it has been a great learning experience to be in D.C. for it. Seeing how a lot of decisions are made, from political, to financial, to communications, they are lessons I wouldn’t get unless I was here in DC during elections. The education I’m getting here is so valuable, and it’s been really rewarding,” Prichard said.

Photos courtesy of Faith Prichard