Washington, D.C., is a city for politics. It is also a city for people to chase their dreams. Seventeen young graduates of UMass Dartmouth, listed as “friends” on a Facebook group for university alumni, are chasing their dreams in the nation’s capital.
But they don’t really know each other. They were invited to join the UMass Dartmouth-Washington DC Alumni Club on Facebook by friends of friends or by their friend’s friend’s friend.
Some of them were willing to share their stories of life in the capital city, to talk about their dreams and to reflect on whether the real world is what they expected.
Lee Lukoff, a Republican from South Dartmouth, came here for the politics after graduating in May with a degree in political science. With no Republican Members of Congress from Massachusetts, Mr. Lukoff sent out applications to Republicans in both the House and Senate, and said he was fortunate to get an internship with Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla.
“I really liked my internship because every day I felt like I was doing something important,” said Mr. Lukoff, a graduate of Dartmouth High School.
He said he learned how Congress works from the inside and how a congressional office works. He was responsible for writing letters to constituents about issues they were concerned about, compiling newspaper articles and attending committee hearings and policy briefings, where he would take notes and write memos.
“Despite the fact that I was unpaid, few people get the chance to intern for a congressman, and the experience can pave the path to future jobs in politics and in government,” Mr. Lukoff said.
Rep. Feeney lost his seat in the Nov. 4 elections, and Mr. Lukoff, like other office staff, is helping pack up the office and moving on to job hunting in other congressional offices, think tanks, interest groups and non-profit organizations.
Lee Lukoff
