One year ago I was living in our nation’s capital, working at my dream internship, and having one of the best learning experiences of my life. Last year, my junior year,  I was able to live and work in Washington D.C. There I not only grew as a person, but learned so much about what I would like to pursue. College is a time where you will be granted incredible opportunities. I was  hesitant about leaving the comfort of Naz for a semester but if I had not I would not have had the experiences that include:

1) Witnessing a Supreme Court Case. On the coldest day of the year, one my dearest friends (who also attends Naz) and I had the opportunity to witness not one but two Supreme Court Cases. For one of the cases I was behind a pole but I did not even care because I was so excited – just think of all the important landmark court decisions that had taken place within these walls! The experience was fantastic, and I had a small fan-girl moment when I moved seats and saw Justice Sotomayor.

2) Touring the White House Garden By some grand fluke I got tickets to the White House Garden Tour (it is not really not a huge deal, a lot of people in DC actually get tickets to the event). The tour goes through the White House grounds, so I saw Sasha and Malia’s swing-set and the First Lady’s vegetable garden, everything was super beautiful.  It was the perfect touristy experience!

3) Interviewing a Congressional Staffer Nazareth has a great group of alumni all around the world and in DC. I was strongly recommended to reach out to those alum and ask them about their experiences.  I am glad I did so, but I was so nervous.  The alum that I interviewed worked in the Hart Senator building! She provided a lot if useful insight into the daily life of a congressional staffer, first hand!

4) Having my name printed in a published article While interning at the Center for American Progress, I spent most of the time doing research on homelessness in a small town known as Shawnne, Oklahoma.  The article took months to prepare, actually being published on thinkprogress.org a couple of months after I left D.C. What was so great about gaining that research experience was also being recognized, as I was cited as being a research assistant in the published article!

5) White House Christmas Tour On my last full day in DC, I had the privileges to tour the White House.  To see the White House Christmas Tree, with the entire place decorated in twinkling lights, and decorations, was BEAUTIFUL.

The point of my list is to not brag about my experiences, but rather highlight how a scary experience can turn into something so incredible. As I was writing, I just kept thinking of all the other wonderful things I would love to add to my short list. Translate your worries into experiences! Keep an open mind in college and it will open your door to endless possibilities in personal growth and development. Although this growth can happen well beyond your undergraduate years, it is certainly a great place to start.

(While in DC I chronicled my experience via blog, for a more detailed and candid look into my experiences check out nandolina.weebly.com)