Final Reflections

Hello everyone!

Hope you are well and hanging in there as finals approach.

As both the semester and my internship winds down, I wanted to take the chance to reflect on my experience interning with the Maryland Democratic Party.

I have loved interning with the Maryland Democrats. The opportunity has given me a great taste of what working in state politics is like, while building professional skills that I will carry with me for the rest of my career. For example, I now have training and experience working with real voters, hearing their stories and experiences, and creating messaging and priorities based on this. This skill is incredibly valuable.

Additionally, I have gotten to work with some incredible role models and make invaluable connections through this internship. The Party staff has been so generous with their time and knowledge, and have given me insight that can only be learned from those with experience.

My history background has been key throughout the past few months: I am a critical thinker thanks to the work and research I have done as a history student. Here at UMBC, we learn to analyze, prove our arguments, and express ourselves eloquently. I am thankful to have learned these skills through my courses, and they definitely translate into the “real-world.”

After this experience, I highly encourage all students to pursue an internship during their undergraduate years. Not only will it look great on a resume and possibly help you earn school credit, but it is also extremely valuable in helping you decide what you want to do post-graduation. I know now that I definitely want to start my career in statewide politics. I feel like the work I did genuinely affected and will continue to affect Maryland, and it is a great feeling to be involved with meaningful work.

I wish you all the best of luck in your future endeavors, and cannot wait to see and hear about the successes of the UMBC History students in the future.  

Best,

Claire McCormack