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