Politics

Inside with an Intern

Hello my name is Whitney Knabel and I am a senior Political Science major at Howard Payne University. This past spring semester I had the great opportunity to intern with Congressman Conaway in the Brownwood Regional Office under the leadership of Mandy Locker. I have learned so much about what a Congressman really does and more importantly how important constituents are to them. I served in various ways by reading the local newspapers and passing along important articles to the other offices, answering phones and talking with constituents when they came into the office.

It never ceased to amaze me how much the people Congressman Conaway served were connected and interested in everything he was doing. Most of the people I worked with had had a personal meeting or phone call with the congressman and many were on a first name basis with him. I have learned from my experience that the most rewarding thing about working in a congressional office is getting to see and meet the people you serve because they are the ones who make your job worthwhile.

Throughout the semester I was able to work on a special project that involved working with databases. I specifically researched and input names and numbers of people and organizations into a comprehensive archive so that they could easily be found when they were needed. As the project came to a close it was much easier to find information about the people we stay in contact with every day, and in my mind it shows how important the people at home are to Congressman Conaway.

I also had the opportunity to attend some of the local chamber of commerce banquets with Mandy. It was neat to see how the communities interacted and how important their cities are to them. I have loved working in the Brownwood office this past semester and I will always remember how important it is to be connected with the people you serve. I think that Congressman Mike, as many of our constituents call him, has influenced and strived for change in our community because he listens and is faithful to those he serves and I know that as I go on later in my professional career that I would do well to emulate those characteristics. Whitney Knabel- Intern to Congressman Mike Conaway

Full post as published by Mike Conaway's Blog on August 04, 2009 (boomark / email).