Summer of Service: During the summer of 2014 the IOP is proud to sponsor and work with over 150 students who are spending their summers in politics and public service around the world. Learn more about this program.
Authored by IOP Summer Stipend Recipient and Summer in Washington videographer Laura Aguilar.
If you’re a Harvard student interning in D.C. this summer and have the fortune of being able to attend any of the Harvard Institute of Politics Summer in Washington events, I’m the one there behind the camera trying unobtrusively to capture the pensive faces of Harvard students participating in meetings with prominent figures such as Congressman Joe Kennedy, or the elation and excitement of students at events such as the recent World Cup viewings at the Greene Turtle.
My name is Laura Aguilar, and I'm a rising senior in Winthrop House. This is my third summer in D.C., and this year I’m the IOP’s on-site photographer and videographer in addition to being an intern at EMILY’s List, a political action committee that supports pro-choice Democratic female candidates by raising money to position women as credible political contenders, helping them build strong campaigns, and mobilizing women voters to go to the polls.
I have been interested in issues pertaining to women's leadership in politics since spring of my freshman year at Harvard when I participated in the IOP's Women's Initiative in Leadership Program. This past spring I met Jess McIntosh, EMILY’s List Communications Director, at Shira Center's Study Group, “2014: Gender, Media, and the Permanent Campaign.”
During that session Jess discussed the importance of the single women vote in determining the outcome of elections. After the meeting, I introduced myself to Jess, and later through e-mail I expressed my interest in an internship at EMILY’s List. I went through an interview process, and now here I am very thankful for the opportunity to be interning for this organization and working directly for Jess.
Although I’ve just started my internship, my first week at EMILY’s List was action-packed. As a Communications Intern it is my job to compile the news and keep the staff up-to-date on all the campaigns EMILY’s List is supporting throughout the country. My day starts at 7:00 a.m. when I am typically the first one in the office so that I can sift through, compile, and synthesize the previous day’s news and help predict what the Communications staff can expect in the day ahead.
I have a variety of tasks for the rest of the day, depending on the strategies developed in response to the day’s events. In just the past week I’ve helped with social media by drafting tweets, blog posts, and Facebook posts and helped monitor our reach on these different platforms. I’ve also drafted press releases, researched material for content in press notes and even helped phone bank for candidates.
One of my most exciting experiences so far has been the opportunity to cover the annual Women’s Congressional Softball Game. The game is a fundraiser for breast cancer research in which female members of Congress play members of the press. This year the members of Congress won 10-5 and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York was awarded MVP.
I live tweeted and took action shots throughout the game, and at the end I was able to go onto the field and meet many of the representatives, including Senator Gillibrand, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, and Rep. Katherine Clark who represents Cambridge, MA. I am proud to be interning at EMILY’s List and extremely thankful for this opportunity to work closely with such inspirational women.
The IOP has been instrumental in enabling me to pursue invaluable experiences in D.C. The summer after my freshman year, I was fortunate to receive a Director’s Internship through which I worked as an intern at the White House Liaison’s Office at the Department of Education. Through that experience, I gained exposure to education policy as well as the political appointment process, and I was able to develop connections and friendships that I continue to value.
The summer after my sophomore year I worked as an intern at Vital Voices, a non-profit that invests in the advancement of women leaders around the world. Through my internships in D.C., I’ve been able to hone my interests and goals. I am thrilled to be working this summer for the IOP as its Summer In Washington photographer. If you see me at any of these events, be sure to smile, cheer or be pensive for the camera!
