MRP Victory Center
Meghan
Experience Information
Employer: Michigan Republican Party
Job Title: Victory Center Intern
Major: Political Science
Received Credit: Yes
Paid: No
Abroad: No
Description of the Organization
The Michigan Republican Party (MRP) is a state organization that works to get Republican candidates elected. The MRP works underneath the National Party and the head of the MRP in Lansing answers directly to Republican Party leaders in Washington D.C.
Description of the Tasks/Projects Completed
The main objective of the party at this stage in the election cycle is collecting voter identification information. In this goal volunteers and interns like myself were sent out with walk books of specific areas in Genesee County to collect information on registered voters to see if these voters supported the party's efforts. The same process of identification was also done over the phone with computerized call lists and the Smart Survey programming on the phones. I was also asked to call precinct delegates in attempt to get more volunteers in the office. In doing this work I met candidates and would work campaign fundraisers for these hopeful candidates.
Skills/Knowledge Gained Through The Experience
In working for the MRP my comfort with speaking to people face to face and over the phone has grown significantly. This will be helpful in the corporate world because the ability to work with others and people skills are two of the most important aspects. Another skill gained was networking. Networking is so important in today's world because knowing certain individuals can give one a leg up on the competition for jobs. This experience has also given the knowledge that one cannot please everyone at the same time.
Favorite Part of the Experience
The best and most exciting aspects of this experience was the interaction with candidates. One of the candidates for State Representative would come into the office every day and help the party with its work. This candidate is one of two candidates that asked me to work campaign fundraisers for them. At these fundraisers I had the great honor and pleasure of meeting Michigan's Governor and Lieutenant Governor. Those two experiences can't be matched.
How the Experience Influenced Future Career Goals
The experience of seeing how the Republican Party working at its different levels has dampened my aspirations of political office. There is some level of disconnect between party leaders and those working for the party that at this point seems to not be capable of being overcome or fixed. However, the influence of this experience on my career goals is not solely negative, I still want to be a member of and help this Party but I'd like to take a more behind the scenes approach and pursue my goal of becoming an attorney.