Adam Basciano, originally from Randolph, N.J., is living and working in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Editor’s note: In this series, Colgate students share stories about their summer experiences in offices, labs, and open spaces across the world.
Just following the July 4 holiday, I began my summer internship working for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, under the minority leadership of Senator Ben Cardin of Maryland. The past two weeks have truly offered many amazing and, at times, surreal experiences here on Capitol Hill.
Upon our arrival, the three other interns and myself were assigned to senior committee staff members based on our interests and previous experiences. As an international relations major with a focus on the Middle East, and having just returned from a semester abroad in Jerusalem, Israel, I was very excited to learn that I would be working with the Middle East and North Africa team.
While the recently announced Iran nuclear deal seems to have taken over every agency and think tank in the city, there are other topic areas relevant to the region that I have been able to explore. Each week, I sit in on meetings with policy makers and Middle Eastern representatives on matters ranging from Tunisia’s growing democracy to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria.
With regards to the Iranian deal reached in Vienna, Austria, last week, it has certainly made coming into work that much more exciting and dynamic. Between attending events on and off the hill and preparing the committee staff and senators for our first hearing on the issue this week, I have definitely been kept busy.
At this important and historic juncture for our country and the international community, I am extremely grateful to be in our nation’s capital working on these important issues. I am also very appreciative of the support from Colgate and our Center for Career Services, as well as the countless courses that have prepared me for this opportunity.
[More: Read Professor Nina Moore’s take on the Iranian Deal]