A Capital Experience: Video Transcript

Imani Fields [junior double major in Political Science and International Studies, Class of 2019]: I went to DC through the MU2DC program, the Capital experience. I was part of the inaugural group, but the course starts January 1st so we had online coursework before going to DC, pertaining to like the inauguration and DC in general. We actually had to create a bibliography as well, because we would meet a lot of Miami alumni while we were there. So he wanted us to … our professor wanted us to have at least a little bit of knowledge of who we were meeting and kind of what they were coming from so we could have very knowledgeable questions for when we got there.

Once we were in DC we kind of hit the ground running. We had like full days of just meetings with Miami alumni who now work in DC. We met people who started lobbying firms, people who actually work on Capitol Hill, we actually met — we were able to go into the Capitol Building and be in Speaker Paul Ryan's office and talk to people there who are actually Miami alumni who actually work for him now, so that was an amazing experience. But we just had, like, five full days of back-to-back meetings, which is great because that's kind of the DC experience: you know it's never ending, never stopping, … you know, work from whatever time to whatever time, and then do it all over again the next day. So being able to catch the subway; the Metro was a great experience and kind of being in the heart of DC and what they do there, 24/7.

Then leading up to the inauguration on Friday was also great. Well, there were definitely mixed feelings about the inauguration in general, but definitely the driving point for that year was the inauguration. Going forward there won't be an inauguration every year, so just being able to meet Miami alumni, being able to ask some questions about, "Okay, you came from Miami, and now you're in DC, kind of doing what I want to do, you know, how do I get here?"

And it's open for any major. I know we had a few journalism majors as well who were there, because one aspect of the trip was to actually shadow someone in your desired field for a day. And so I met someone in the State Department, and I was able to shadow him for the entire day. Someone who's interested in being a news broadcaster shadowed someone in like a news broadcasting office in DC, so — whatever your major is you’re able to find some sort of desire to go to DC during that trip.

It kind of helped me develop a passion. I think a lot of people say, you know, follow your passion or make sure your degree, you know, is consumed with your passion, and I think I have realized that I want to advocate for something. I've never realized that before, so I'm happy that I was able to find that. Being able to have a cause and go into a conference room and being able to present that cause to someone, you know, higher up felt very empowering for me. I don't know why, but I definitely love that. I definitely want to advocate for something, and I am happy that I was able to find that passion.

[February 2018]