When I went to DC, I didn’t particularly want to work with politicians, but I quickly learned that a lot of work is presented by politicians who have something to campaign on but drafted by staffers behind the scenes. I enjoyed in a very small way influencing political decisions in this framework. Before my work at the senate, I didn’t realize how much the U.S. truly is a republic, which sounds funny to say. But after going to some floor speeches and seeing the senators together, I realized how much the U.S. depends on  the representation of a vast population by a relatively minuscule group.

I would say that the liberal arts absolutely will help anyone interested in a political career. Something I was told early on in my internship was that technical skills can be quickly taught, while interpersonal ‘soft’ skills have to be learned over a longer period of time. The liberal arts gives the grounding and community to develop “soft” skills to a level where all you need to do is learn light technical skills to be prepared for a plethora of different jobs.

My experience writing an advisory speech for rhetoric class was a huge help in researching and speaking clearly about political issues, something I put into practice working with staffers on projects. Being able to communicate well either in writing or especially in person is extremely valuable, especially if you have the attention span that WCC’s tech policy inspires, which is increasingly rare.

Read more about Joseph and his wife, Lizzy, and their path to Capitol Hill in “Capitol Alumni:” Joseph (‘25) and Lizzy (‘25) Collins and Life On the Hill.