Week 1
Sunday 7th June
‘A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step’... Lao Tzu
And so it began...Having exceeded all airline weight limits, the Class of 2009 departed from Dublin Airport to begin what we all knew would be a life-changing experience. Although we had been given ample warning, nothing could have prepared me for the D.C. heat, or the crowds of amazing host families who had been eagerly awaiting our arrival. At the airport I was greeted by my incredible host family, the Dwyer family, and after the first of many Class photographs, we parted ways to settle in with our host families for the summer. I spent the summer with the lovely Dwyer family, Tom and Bernadette, and their fantastic children Joe and Mary, not forgetting Darby the family labradoodle! In true American fashion, my family hosted a barbeque for my arrival, and I was welcomed with open arms into their family, for which I am incredibly grateful.
Monday 8th June
To start as we mean to continue...
We braved the D.C Metro system and all survived the early morning Metro rush in ‘Dress Code 1’ (suits), to make it to the George Washington University campus, where we began our Introduction Day. This included Goals and Planning sessions and meetings with our Management Teams and Internship Co-ordinator, as well as a Briefing by Clifton Elgarten (Crowell & Mooring) to prepare us for our visit to the Supreme Court the following day.
Tuesday 9th June
Tuesday morning was truly a privilege...
We met Chief Justice Roberts, the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. As a law student this was incredibly exciting, and particularly so for me because, prior to my departure for D.C I had the privilege of interviewing the Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland, Sir Brian Kerr. The opportunity to meet with the Chief Justices of both Northern Ireland and the United States at all, let alone within a few weeks of each other, is something quite unheard of for a young law student from Belfast, and for these unique opportunities, and the many others the Washington Ireland Program has given me, I shall be eternally grateful. Following our meeting with Chief Justice Roberts, we were given the opportunity to tour the Supreme Court which, like so many of Washington’s buildings and monuments, was breathtaking.
In true WIP fashion, we embarked upon the traditional ‘Oakley Brooks Death Tour’ which, just to keep us on our toes, began in blistering heat and ended with thunder and lightning storms. We visited Arlington Cemetery and saw JFK and Jacqueline Kennedy’s graves and the tomb of the Unknown Soldier which, since the 6th April 1948, has been guarded 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and where we were able to watch the sombre changing of the Guard. We visited the Reflecting Pool and the inspiring Lincoln Memorial, the site of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Juniors’ 1963 ‘I Have A Dream’ speech, and it seemed completely surreal to be waking in the footsteps of giants. I again reminded myself of how privileged we were to be in D.C. and on the Washington Ireland Program. We finished the day with a visit to the equally inspiring Roosevelt Memorial and the fascinating Air and Space Museum. Many thanks to our fantastic tour-guide for the day, Mr Brooks.
Wednesday 10th June
Service and Leadership...to lead is to serve.
Wednesday morning reminded me of one the reasons that I’m here. We spent an incredibly rewarding morning at J.O.Wilson Elementary, a public school in inner-city D.C that serves a predominantly black neighbourhood. We helped the teachers, played Irish music for the children, had sing-a-longs, and even taught them Irish Dancing. The staff were incredibly dedicated and the children were bright, enthusiastic and full of hope, and their laughter was contagious. For these children and their teachers and families, the impact of having a Black Family in the Whitehouse is immeasurable. I left the school with a deeper appreciation of how lucky I was to have received an education that has enabled me to develop my potential- I hope the same for the students at J.O.Wilson.
Each of us will be Public Speaking in D.C and in the afternoon we were fortunate enough to be advised by three experts, namely Kevin Sullivan, David Frank and Jim Grossfeld, during a Speechwriting and Presentation Skills session. Following this we had a Panel Discussion on ‘How Washington Works’, where we were privileged to hear from Tamera Luzattto (Hilary Clinton’s Former Chief of Staff), Jack Dover (Economic Development Advisor in the Senate) and John Feehery (Founder and CEO of the Feehery Advocacy Group).
Thursday 11th June
To understand the future you must understand the past...
We began the day with somewhat of a history lesson and fortunately I love history. We were joined by Tim Meagher (Professor of Irish History) who discussed with us in fascinating detail the historical ‘Irish- American Relationship’. We then had the honour of meeting the Irish Ambassador to the United States, Michael Collins, who spoke to us about the evolving nature of the ‘Irish-American Relationship’ and then Former Congressman Jim Walsh, shared his insights with us about working in D.C, and on Capitol Hill, which was particularly helpful for those of us who are interning on the Hill. We were then joined by Mr Norman Houston, the Director of the Northern Ireland Bureau in D.C, who dispensed great advice and encouragement to the Class of 2009. Finally, following our Task Force Meetings, we enjoyed a reception with the Washington Ireland Program Board of Directors on the Rooftop of the Bricklayers Building.
Friday 12th June
Now I understand...
We began the day with an interesting blogging talk given by Mr Henry Farrell, which helped prepare us for writing our own online journals. Following this we went to a Luncheon hosted by the Northern Ireland Bureau at the National Press Club. We then began the much anticipated tour of Capitol Hill. It was breathtaking. I will be interning on ‘The Hill’ and it was only upon arriving on the Hill that I, for the first time, began to realise just what that will mean...
Saturday 13th June
Retail therapy!
We had our first unscheduled day and I caught up on sleep from the 5am wakeups. I went shopping, relaxed with the other Interns, found people who share my love for Musical Theatre, and tried to comprehend the blur that had become the previous week. I was the guest of the fabulous Martinez Family for the weekend, and for their incredible generosity and Lenore’s ‘legendary Monkey Bread’, which all the Interns enjoyed, I thank them.
Sunday 14th June
Work hard, play hard...Pool Party anyone?!
We went to the WIP neighbourhood barbeques and our local barbeque was hosted by the Pew-Seedyke’s. The fabulous company, great food and sun, not to mention the swimming pool, made it a fantastic day. Later that evening I went to another barbecue hosted by Susie Hoffman where, much to my delight, we finally got to make ‘s’mores’! I would like to thank Bill, Elizabeth and Susie for their tremendous hospitality.
I would like to thank the WIP Host Families, Staff, and Board Members for an unforgettable first week in D.C. We have already met so many extraordinary people, had brilliant eye-opening and challenging experiences, seen D.C.’s iconic sights and survived the metro and D.C.-heat in suits! Most importantly, I would like to thank my fellow classmates of the Class of 2009 for an unforgettable week. After a whirl-wind first week I can only imagine what surprises week two will bring...
Rachel Bergin Bio.
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