Final Post-Grow & Fortify

With my final post upon the completion of my internship I cannot express my appreciation for the opportunity I had working for Grow & Fortify. I have learned a significant amount as the legislative intern for the CEO of the company and in working with the amazing staff that tirelessly labor for their clients throughout Maryland. In April, Maryland’s 2016 legislative session came to a close and I had the chance to be in Annapolis to see how everything happens. Being able to be there to witness the results of my project throughout the semester was both thrilling and tense. The last day of the 2016 session is a frantic day as the Maryland legislature holds several sessions to pass all of the remaining bills. From 9:00am until midnight, I got to experience everything that went into the process. Throughout it we met with several delegates and state senators to learn about the status of our bills and their expected passage. What was most striking was the fact that, no matter how much progress you may have made in the previous months, anything can happen in the final day of the session as representatives seek to have certain bills stopped and others passed. Fortunately, the majority of the bills I worked on passed that day. The bill I spoke of in my previous post was one of those that passed; along with others I had the opportunity to provide insight and arguments for. Because of their successful passing, I also had the opportunity to return to Annapolis to be there for the Governor’s signing of them. I learned a tremendous amount throughout the semester regarding the political process and in the drafting of legislation. I will never forget what I have learned and am very thankful for the experience. What I am most fortunate for, however, is the opportunity to use my skills as a historian to research and provide insight into the laws that needed to be made to support our clients as they have and will develop over the years.

Along with this, I was asked to research the possibility of the company taking on additional clients. Out of confidentiality I will not disclose who these clients may be but their addition would be a great benefit for the company. However, it is also one requiring careful analysis and thought. I researched several articles and the history of the industry to gain insight into its trajectory and any possible issues that may arise in the years to come. It was a great feeling to be asked to provide such insight and to use the writing and research skills I developed as a historian to analyze past trends and make predictions about the future. As I worked on this, I was also asked to consider a possible position with the company for a short time in completing another project after my internship. This project will be an in depth history and analysis of the craft alcohol industry in the state, providing Maryland legislatures a resource to familiarize themselves with the industry. I am very thankful for such an opportunity and look forward to continuing to work with Grow & Fortify. My internship experience has been very rewarding and I am thankful to my supervisor and all those at the company that gave me the chance to work with them and who taught me so much. In addition to the legislative and political insight I gained, I also learned a lot about my skills as a historian. I researched several topics throughout my project this semester to familiarize myself with issues that developed over several years and to help compose legislation to achieve a goal. What this has shown me and I hope shows others is that as historians, we develop great analytical and research skills that can serve us well throughout multiple industries.