President Barack Obama talks with members of the 2012 Spring White House intern class before a group photo in the East Room of the White House, April 26, 2012. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Being a White House intern – what an amazing experience! I remember the day I received notification of my acceptance into the program: I was transitioning to teach my fourth period 8th grade Political Science class when my phone buzzed with a call from the White House Internship Program. When I was finally able to pull myself together and tell my students what was going on, they were ecstatic.
During my time as a White House intern, I had the privilege of working in the Office of Public Engagement and Intergovernmental Affairs. As a Political Science teacher, working at the White House was a larger than life experience. Seeing and being part of what I teach my students every year was truly an amazing experience.
In the summer of 2011, the Office of Public Engagement began a series of weekly Community Leaders Briefings which brought together leaders and activists from communities all across the country for an opportunity to discuss common challenges and learn how the government can help them as they work to improve their neighborhoods. I’ll never forget one briefing in particular, when the President made a surprise visit to meet and talk with the attending community leaders. As I watched and listened to the President speak with the group, I couldn’t help but be impressed not only by his remarks, but also his compassion and gratitude for the work they were doing in their communities.