During my summers away from college, I had the great opportunity to work for Senator Byrd.  He recognized long ago the impact a summer’s work in the Nation’s Capital can have on a young person, and the benefit to West Virginia from enthusiastic public service.  I have continued that tradition and this summer have a small army of young West Virginians serving the needs of the Third Congressional District in my Washington, D.C. office and in my district offices in southern West Virginia.

Working in my offices this summer are:Marriela Tassone from Huntington who currently attends Vanderbilt University and will be graduating in the Spring of 2011.  Mariela shared with me that this experience has given her a small glimpse into a possible career in her future.

Huntington native, Megan Ray, is a senior, majoring in political science at Marshall University.  She currently is looking at law schools and hopes to begin her first year in the fall of 2011.  Megan explained that she truly enjoyed her experience interning, and she hopes that her career will one day bring her back to Capitol Hill.

Rachel Rogier is from Charleston and she recently graduated from University of Toronto. Rachael shared that she really enjoyed being an intern in Washington and gaining critical job experience she will need to land her ideal job.  Rachael explained that she looks forward to finding a job in D.C., maybe even in government; and that she had a great experience overall.

Mark Basham is a resident of Beckley and senior at West Virginia University.  After graduation he hopes to continue his education as a mountaineer at WVU law school. Working in public service has been a dream of his since he was a child, and this internship experience truly fulfilled his lifelong dream.

Born and raised in Beckley, West Virginia, Jonathan Michael interned this summer in the Beckley district office.  He currently attends West Virginia University and is majoring in Business Administra-tion.  He plans to graduate in the spring of 2011 and hopes to pursue a career in the field of politics or business.

Chelsea Nichols is from Nitro, West Virginia and interned in the Huntington district office.  She is currently a freshman at Marshall University.  Chelsea wants to go into politics after she graduates, and feels that her internship has been a great precursor for what she wants to do in the future.

 Adam Strider is getting ready to start his internship in the Huntington district office.  He is from Bunker Hill, West Virginia and is a senior at Marshall University.  He hopes that this internship will help him understand the law making process and give him an advantage when he attends law school.

Joey DiPiero will be starting his internship soon in the Washington, D.C. office.  He hails from Charleston, West Virginia and will be entering his junior year at the University of Notre Dame. Joey has long had an interest in government and hopes interning will be a good opportunity to see it up close.

Kelly Pawlowski will soon begin her internship in the Bluefield district office.  Kelly is from Princeton, West Virginia and attends Bluefield State, majoring in Political Science and Psychology.  She has recently interned for Senator Rockefeller and hopes to further her internship experience in this office.

Congress is a place of history and tradition and one tradition that has lived on through the years is that every June several thousand interns descend on the nation’s Capital to get experience in the halls of Congress.

Summer interns have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of office work and activities, from attending hearings and briefings, to legislative research, to giving tours of the U.S. Capitol, and answering phones.

It is my sincere hope that each year our interns learn about their government, gain a wide range of experience and see how your Congressional Office operates to serve the people of southern West Virginia.

If you are interested in serving as a summer intern, or participating in our fall or spring semester internship programs, don’t hesitate to contact my office or visit our website at in our student section.

Successful applicants possess good writing and communication skills, an above average GPA, and the ability to work well within a busy office environment. Applicants are encouraged to submit their application materials by October for spring internships, January for summer internships and July for fall internships. Decisions regarding spring interns will be made in November, summer intern decisions will be made in May, and decisions for fall interns will be made in August.

Due to security procedures in Washington, it’s best to email rather than mail your application to . You can always mail your application to one of the four Congressional District offices in West Virginia.

U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV) represents West Virginia’s 3rd District.