Check out a brief reflection from each of our wonderful summer interns:
“I am thoroughly enjoying my time working with the Episcopal Church Office of Government Relations. The internship has been demanding and engaging, and from the outset I have been involved with decision-making about the policies and priorities we advocate. I have had the opportunity to work closely with our staff on issues like critical domestic human needs programs, health care policy, gun reform measures, and the environment. The work that the office does lies at the heart of our Baptismal Covenant; it makes me tremendously proud that we as the Episcopal Church have official church policies that touch on such a wide swath of issues that cut across disciplines and sectors. It makes me even more proud that the Episcopal Church stands at the forefront with a bold and moral voice. It has been and continues to be very exciting to be a part of this team that does such meaningful work.” -Tarleton Watkins
“Before my internship, I considered myself well informed. I read newspapers, attended protests – I even listened to podcasts. I was vaguely aware that undocumented immigrants lived in my community, but I viewed the situation with detached sympathy. I knew it was unjust when a high school friend was barred from attending public universities or community colleges in Alabama because of his undocumented status, but I assumed that a larger system beyond my understanding was at work. When we graduated, I was able to continue to college, my right to education never questioned. At the time, I thought callousness and cynicism were closer to truth than compassion and concern. I believed empathy was finite, a resource limited by “the way the world is.” In my time with OGR, I’ve been challenged to reassess those assumptions. I’ve learned that productive anger on behalf of others is not childish, and a belief in goodness not naïve. To quote the Rev. Mark Johnston, an Episcopalian and candidate for the Governor of Alabama, I’ll continue to work with hope, rather than resignation, for ‘the way the world could be.'” -Claire Brickson
Thanks to both of these hard working folks who are contributing valuable work to our advocacy efforts.
The Office of Government Relations typcially offers internship opportunities in the summer and the fall/spring semesters. Keep in touch on social media or check our opportunities page for news about new positions.