Student spends summer in capital
Most college students spend the last summer before they become a college graduate doing things they wouldn’t normally get to do once they enter the “real world,” like going on road trips or spending the entire day in their pajamas just because they can.
But Russellville native John Isaac Thomason, who is preparing to start his senior year at Birmingham Southern College, chose to spend two months of his summer learning more about how the nation’s leaders run the country.
Thomason, an environmental studies major, received a spot in Congressman Robert Aderholt’s congressional internship program in Washington, D.C. and spent the months of June and July immersed in the nation’s capital with other interns.
Thomason’s mother, Rebecca, first told him about the program and even though he doesn’t necessarily have any political aspirations, Thomason said he thought it would be worth applying for just so he could have the experience.
“The internship itself was good because you got to really see how things work,” Thomason said. “We sometimes sat in the gallery and we would see the staff working on legislation, so that was interesting to see.”
During his time there, Thomason said he mainly answered phones in Aderholt’s office or gave tours of the building, which are the primary responsibilities of most congressional interns.
“I liked what I did mostly, but we were there when the big debate was going on over the debt ceiling so I got lots of calls around that time from angry people who were yelling at me,” Thomason said. “Most of the people who were yelling were from some other state, though. The ones who actually called from the district were polite.”
Thomason said the time period when the debt ceiling was being discussed was hectic but his first day was also a whirlwind.
“My very first day of work was busy because Congressman Aderholt’s bill for homeland security appropriations was up for debate,” he said. “I liked seeing how everyone worked on that together.”
Thomason said he enjoyed several things about living in a big city like Washington, D.C. like the transportation system and entertainment.
“I lived in the dorms at George Washington University, so I walked about a half mile to the nearest Metro station and had a 15-minute ride to where Congressman Aderholt’s office was,” Thomason said. “When I was walking I would see festivals and people playing music on the street.
“I enjoyed the experience of being in a big city while I was there, but I’m not sure it’s somewhere I would want to live my entire life.”
During his time in D.C., Thomason went to several dinners, attended an internship lecture series that featured Colin Powell and met two other congressmen including 2012 Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul.
“We attended the Christian Statesmanship Dinner because Congressman Aderholt won the award last year, and I was able to meet Rep. [Trent] Franks from Arizona who won the award this year,” Thomason said. “The reception was at Union Station and Rep. Franks talked about his life and I met him afterwards.
“Ron Paul actually schedules time each month to meet with interns, so I was in one of the four groups of five people who got to go to his office and meet him.”
Thomason was also able to take a day trip to New York City with other interns where they explored Manhattan, strolled through Central Park, toured the Empire State Building and took a harbor cruise out to Ellis Island.
“I’m glad I had the chance to have this whole experience, and it’s definitely something I would recommend others to do,” Thomason said. “You don’t have to be involved in politics to learn more about the way things work in the nation’s capital. That’s something everyone should learn more about.”
