Emma Murphy interned at the Senator Richard J. Durbin’s office and worked with worked with the energy and environment policy team as well as the press team. Emma pursue her carrer in the public service after finishing her undergraduate.
The Illinois in Washington Program (IIW) has been an experience of a lifetime. Not only did participating in the program solidify by future career aspirations, I met friends that will last a lifetime. I cannot not thank IIW enough for this amazing opportunity. This opportunity pushed me out of my comfort zone, helped me grow as a professional, and expand my network. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Andrea Mayer for this opportunity and her unwavering dedication to her students. In PS 125, Dr. Mayer took us NGOs, the White House, law firms, and courts. These opportunities allowed us explore D.C. in great depth which only made my experience better!

I spent an extensive amount of time writing cover letters, perfecting my resume, and preparing for interviews. The application process for internships in D.C. is not easy, but if you are willing to put in the work the result is worth it. I applied to all of the democrats from the Illinois Congressional Delegation as well as organizations like the DNC and DCCC. Perfecting your application is very important, but the interview is where you get to show your personality. Preparation for the interview is crucial. Prior to the interviews, I did extensive research on priority points for the offices and as well as crafting answers to typical interview questions. The preparation prior to my interviews is what I believe set me apart from other candidates. I was able to speak very naturally about why I wanted to work in the office which showed my personality and passion. This semester I had the honor and privilege to intern in Senator Richard J. Durbin’s office where I worked with the energy and environment policy team as well as the press team.
Interning in Senator Durbin’s office has been an experience of a lifetime. I have made it a point while at the University of Illinois to intern in as many political spaces a possible. I can say that working in Senator Durbin’s office has been not only my favorite internship, but one of the most rewarding. While working the energy and environment team I learned how to thoroughly research and write policy memos, write constituent letters, and staff the senator in meetings. While working with the press team I learned how to do daily mentions/clips, write tweets, and craft messaging around legislation and the senators priorities. I was nervous when I was assigned the energy and environment policy area because I never had much of an interest in the area. Working with this policy area has opened my eyes to a passion I never knew I had. Legislation surrounding energy and environment is complex and it’s been very challenging, but rewarding. Since I started in the office the Environmental Protection Agency released final rules on forever chemicals, pollution, and so much more. I was able to observe how this impacts legislation and focus areas for the office. One of my proudest moments was when Senator Durbin and McCollum dropped the Forever Chemical Regulation and Accountability Act. The office spent a year and a half working on the bill and if passed will address the excessive use of PFAs which has contaminated drinking water across the United States. I had the honor working with the staffer who helped write the bill as well as doing research on PFAs. I also had the opportunity to help with the press strategies leading up to the bill being dropped. This internship has solidified my passion for public service and my desire to come back to the Hill after I graduate.

Spending this semester in D.C. has been an experience of a lifetime that I will never forget. I had the opportunity to experience so much history unfold right in front of me. From watching Senator Durbin question the biggest names in the tech industry to watching all of the senators get sworn in for an impeachment trial, I have cherished every moment of this internship and I am honored to have had the opportunity to work for Senator Durbin.
