At the Forefront of American Politics

As she entered her final year at Roger Williams University, Kaylee Pugliese reflected on her summer journalism experience in the nation's capital:

This summer, I’ve been at the forefront of American politics.

For ten weeks, I’ve been an intern for American History TV at C-SPAN in Washington, D.C. This experience, which has placed me at the center of U.S. government and current events, has made me a first hand witness to history.

I have seen Attorney General Jeff Sessions walking into the U.S. senate and had conversations with colleagues about the hearing for FBI agent Peter Strzok as it was happening. And there have been times where I have received breaking news stories just before they were available on TV or online. It’s easy to miss history being made as it moves so quickly, but living in this city has given me a clear platform to stay informed while accelerating my journalistic skills and experiences.

For example, I helped the C-SPAN camera crew set up for a press conference at Mount Vernon where they informed the public that an energy company was planning to place a gas compressor right across the Potomac River, obstructing the view that visitors come to see. I’ve also become skilled at copyediting and research. Recently, I did research on a 500 page book on World War I. I took notes, found clips of interviews from the people featured in the book and presented my findings to my superiors to help decide if we should bring the author in for an interview or not. After presenting, we collectively decided to move forward with the interview.

When I got to D.C., my curiosity and interest in American politics exploded. I had visited D.C. before as a tourist, but sightseeing is a completely different experience than being here as a student journalist. Everything that I have gotten to experience through this internship has given me an abundance of skills that will undoubtedly further my career.