<p>So I'm having a discussion with my dad about doing an unpaid political intership that he wants me to discontinue. It's on a governor's campaign and I spend around 15-20 hours a week at the office. It really is something that I love but my dad says I should use the summer to "make people a fan of me, not be a fan of the governor". I've only done 30-ish volunteer hours so far in high school and I'm about to go into a field that will let me do 54 more by the end of the summer. However, if i quit the internship, that 54 could become close to 175 by the end. I still think doing what I love is worth it. My dad says I should volunteer to help out the community and that I should read a ton of books and take practice tests to improve myself.</p>
<p>Who wins this argument?</p>
<p>The number of community service hours you complete doesn’t matter–the projects you’ve contributed to or played a key role in organizing do. It sounds to me like you’d just be collecting hours without making an impact if you quit the campaign. </p>
<p>Do you want to go into politics? I think you could make a really phenomenal essay addressing the menial tasks you do for the governor (which I assume, being an unpaid intern, you are doing a fair amount) and what you’ve learned–whether that be furthering an interest in politics, killing an interest in politics (which could be interesting), anything. If it means a lot to you, don’t quit. I think your father is wrong to ask you to quit, though keeping the internship may not mean acceptance into top schools, either.</p>
<p>thanks for the reply, politics is definitely an interesting subject for me. I have a political blog, I could probably name all 100 senators off the top of my head because I keep up with the news, etc. I don’t think the internship itself is going to get me in anywhere, but it could help start a ladder to something that could get me in to top colleges, something my dad is probably too shortsighted and impatient to see. You are right about the menial work: phone calls and mailers are insufferable. However, it feels really rewarding the times I do get a big project to do because of good work on the makework.</p>
<p>If you love politics, as you clearly do, I would say go with what you like. If you show your passion for campaigning (and do more of it) then colleges will love it much more than if you did 200 CS hours just to fill a resume, IMO. I say always follow your passions, and this is one that is pretty rewarding, for college and for life.</p>
<p>Off-topic, but judging from your username – Are you from Massachusetts? If so, do you mind me asking whose campaign you’re on? I’ve been trying to volunteer with Deval but I don’t know where to start; all I get are emails to forward and phone calls asking to host house parties.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m working with Deval. Going to campaign HQ is a really good place to start, they’re definitely the most active office, unless there’s a field office closer to you. Do you have an apebble account, by any chance?</p>
<p>Cool, thanks. Do you just walk in and ask to do something, or do you need to register as a volunteer online first? And no, I’ve never heard of apebble, sorry. But from Googling it looks pretty interesting. Thanks for your help; I will definitely check this stuff out. And I hope you keep on working on the campaign.</p>
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<p>The best way to turn this into something impressive is to keep taking on those bigger responsibilities. You sound like you’re on the right track!</p>
<p>The problem with “bigger responsibilities” is that they’re very few and far between for a high school intern. The real exciting stuff happens in a whole another room (finance, field, politics, etc.), where one is only qualified to go if one has served in finance, field, politics, etc. before. It’s kind of a catch-22 where what i’m doing now doesn’t actually qualify me for exciting stuff. Doing exciting stuff qualifies me for doing exciting stuff. It’s a grind, definitely.</p>
<p>Being involved in a political campaign because politics is your passion is a great EC, far better than simply doing lots of hours of random community service that you don’t care about. </p>
<p>Colleges care far more about impact than they care about the hours.</p>
<p>Those menial things you’re doing as a teen volunteer are things that are teaching you a lot about politics, and if you stay involved and do a good job, you’ll get more responsibilities. </p>
<p>I’m an adult Ivy grad and over the past few years, I’ve done lots of menial things for politicians whom I support. That’s the nature of the game. Most of the things that volunteers do – door knocking, waving signs on street corners, making phone calls – are fairly easy to do, but also are very important. One also learns a lot about politics by doing such things.</p>
<p>Many major politicians got their start as teens doing the kind of things that you’re doing.</p>
<p>Unpaid internships are evil. Do not accept them.</p>
<p>@Enginox: thanks…</p>
<p>@Northstar: THANK YOU for pointing out the passion behind the activity. However, I feel like colleges wouldn’t understand that same feeling because I would be seen as someone who is “being told what to do” while other applicants are “doing”. I agree that this is a very good way for me to show a passion in politics, but what else more proactively can show the same passion?</p>
<p>Like northstarmom said, if this is what you love doing and if you think it’ll help your aspirations to go into politics, definitely do it.
I know what you mean with being a fan of rather than being your “own fan”, that’s my dads opinion of sports and i’m a big sports fan. but it doesn’t stop me from taking my passion a step further and becoming a sports writer whose work has appeared on a major website. </p>
<p>I don’t think its that big of a deal that you’re being “told what to do”. that’s pretty much what goes on in school and it’s the nature of internships. Starting at the bottom of the ladder this is the kind of work you have to do, but the experience you gain will help propel you towards a career in politics more than 100 hours could do. </p>
<p>It doesn’t always happen like CC overachievers make it seem like, but try your hardest to appear to the governer as a very reliable, persistent, and hard working character. maybe, just maybe, you’ll be given part of a big project. It never hurts to communicate and tell the governer, or whoever, about your passion in government.</p>
<p>"THANK YOU for pointing out the passion behind the activity. However, I feel like colleges wouldn’t understand that same feeling because I would be seen as someone who is “being told what to do” while other applicants are “doing”. "</p>
<p>Most other applicants are doing – what their employers or advisors or parents are telling them to do, including by doing activities just because others tell them to get involved in those activities.</p>
<p>You are learning about politics from the ground up the way that the successful politicians I know learned about politics. They started out doing the kind of things you’re doing, and often they started doing that at an older age than you are.</p>
<p>You are in a wonderful place to learn about politics and to meet a variety of people who are or will be important in politics. This includes some minor appearing people on the staff. Some of them will end up in high offices, and you will have some amazing contacts.</p>
<p>I think that what you’re doing is so important that years ago when I founded a youth leadership program, I offered all of the participants the chance to do an unpaid internship at the state capitol. I told them that even if they just answered the phones or opened mail, they’d develop a comfort around politicians and sophisticated insights into government that would serve them well in any field that they chose to enter</p>
<p>The same is true of you. While you’re there, get to know everyone and pick their brains, including asking their advice about other things you can do to be supportive and to learn about politics.</p>
<p>One way that you might be able to help them is to help out with their social media outlets. Often older people have no clue how to use social media, yet using it is very important in politics.</p>
<p>I also suggest that you keep a daily journal and consider using that as inspiration for your college essays.</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for zooming out and really focusing on the long-term benefits of this Northstarmom.</p>
<p>Do you have any suggestions for other things in politics I could do outside of this particular venture? I’m really trying to utilize my free time to the fullest.</p>
<p>Quincyboy: Look around for other ways you can help the candidate. You could volunteer full time for him. Surely there’s more to do than you’re already doing: calling people in the governor’s party and encouraging them to contribute and vote; calling people and asking them to take yard signs; delivering yard signs; door knocking and talking about your candidate. Attending rallies, fundraisers, etc. with the candidate, etc.</p>