I interned for Member of Parliament Carol Hughes in Canada’s House of Commons from mid May to mid June. In her office I wrote letters to constituents, ministers, and ambassadors; wrote speeches for events my MP attended; and wrote columns for her website.

During my internship I adjusted to my first experience working a typical 9-5 job and being a young professional. Although there was a learning curve at first, I quickly adapted to the tasks set before me and the fast pace of life on Parliament Hill. As time went on, I found I was able to write more quickly and succinctly, as well we develop a rapport with my colleagues in the office and my MP.

In terms of changes to my worldview, being in Ottawa during a particularly tense period of US-Canada relations was incredibly interesting. Many Canadians I spoke with were incredulous about the politics in the United States at this moment. I was at the United States Embassy the day President Trump announced a trade war with Canada, and met US Ambassador Kelly Craft the next week. To be completely honest, being abroad in a political capacity made me embarrassed to be an American as I was asked to explain my country’s actions.

One of the key aspects of my experience was spending a week in my Member of Parliament’s riding of Algoma-Manitoulin Kapuskasing. By seeing Carol’s constituency in person, I was better able to respond to the needs of her constituents while in Ottawa. It’s difficult to serve a community when you don’t have an understanding of the people or the issues that matter to them. While I was in the riding I canvassed for the Ontario provincial election and spoke to prospective voters about problems affecting them and what could be done on a provincial level.

I also grew in a professional capacity by participating in all of the activity that happens on Parliament Hill. I attended receptions in Ottawa as a representative of my Member of Parliament, and was fortunate to engage with some incredible people in my desired future career field. I participated in a meeting with MPs and officials from Global Affairs Canada to discuss the Rohingya crisis, upcoming elections in Bangladesh, and Canada’s involvement in the region. I also spoke with Germany’s ambassador to Canada, Sabine Sparwasser, about current populist movements in Europe and the state of Germany’s coalition government. I aspire to work in US foreign policy in the future, and I was able to see opportunities that were not a part of my job description that enriched my experience.

The experience of interning in Canadian Parliament was an unparalleled opportunity for me. My specialization in Political Science is comparative politics, and it doesn’t get better than actually working for the government of another country and seeing its politics firsthand. As I mentioned, this was my first experience in my desired career field,  and it proved to be an invaluable learning experience.