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Johnathan Hershey '15

Johnathan Hershey '15

Johnathan Hershey '15

Politics major and summer intern for Speaker of the House John Boehner

Politics major Johnathan Hershey has an impressive resume already, and he is only a college senior. So far, he’s interned with Pennsylvania Congressman Joe Pitts; Hiinga Microfinance in Lancaster, Pennsylvania; and with the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, D.C.  And Hershey, who’s interested in trade and agricultural policy, completed perhaps his most high profile internship last summer with Speaker of the House John Boehner’s office on Capitol Hill.

Packing his bags and heading to D.C., Hershey spent six weeks on the House floor working in the cloak room with another intern and several members of Boehner’s staff. As an intern in the Republican Cloakroom, Hershey helped keep track of house proceedings, often informing congressmen of bill content; votes scheduled for the day; among other things, such as delivering paperwork and connecting members to staff. He says the most challenging part was memorizing the names and faces of all 234 Republican U.S. representatives.

His favorite part though? Standing feet away from some of the biggest names in politics, and the overall experience of working on Capitol Hill.

“My advice to others pursuing an internship on Capitol Hill is: if there is a topic you are interested in, try to find someone who works on that issue and meet with them. Congressmen aren’t always readily available because of their busy schedules, but if you make yourself available and have a particular interest in a topic, it is so helpful to speak with someone working on that issue,” said Hershey.

 Reflecting on his preparation for the internships he’s completed, Hershey says Messiah’s politics department has really challenged him to examine his own views and has helped him expand his critical thinking and reasoning skills. He also credits Messiah for helping him prepare for the larger goal of staying faithful in the workplace, saying, “Messiah does a great job at helping students reconcile faith with vocation. In my politics courses and in the general education courses I’ve taken, we always examine how our faith can be used in the professions we choose.”

As he finishes his senior year, Hershey continues to explore his career options and hopes to one day land a job back on Capitol Hill.

Written by Erin Bray ’10

Photography provided by Johnathan Hershey ‘15