Dec. 27—MITCHELL — Mitchell High School graduate Keatyn Wede recalled recently an interesting moment from her stint as an intern in the U.S. House of Representatives.
A student at Georgetown University, the former barista was one of several staffers in charge of greeting visitors to the Washington, D.C. office of Rep. Ilhan Omar, a Democratic representative from the state of Minnesota. When a group of visitors in full suits arrived for a meeting, she called on her Midwest friendliness and chatted with them.
“I’m a very customer-service people person, and these people came in and I was just making small talk, cracking some jokes,” Wede told the Mitchell Republic during a recent interview. “And then when they went into the Congresswoman’s office, the chief of staff was in the back and said that that was the ambassador to Norway. And I was like, ‘Oh my god, I was just making stupid jokes.'”
She may have been a bit embarrassed, but her small-town charm apparently went down very well in Washington, D.C., where the 2023 graduate of Mitchell High School recently completed her internship working for Omar while also taking a full load of coursework at Georgetown University.
Now a sophomore at the university, she is undertaking a major in justice and peace studies, a second major in sociology as well as a minor in education inquiry and justice. It’s a lot to take on, but she still wanted to take part in the political scene in Washington, D.C., so she began exploring internship opportunities on Capitol Hill.
Her newfound proximity to Washington and the historical connection of the university to the halls of power offered a chance for her to explore the long-held interests that also led her to pick her areas of study in college. She cited her former debate coach Madi Miller as one of the inspirations for her in high school.
“I did speech and debate, and we did presentations on whatever topics we wanted. Madi Miller always inspired us to get really creative with stuff like that, and so I researched very niche topics about things I was passionate about. I talked about how local journalism can help depolarize communities. And going to high school during the 2020 election — things were highly polarized, and it kind of continued down that path,” Wede said. “I got passionate about how we can fix things together rather than seeding division among us.”
That passion led her to studies on peace and justice, as well as education at Georgetown. It also spurred an interest in working for an elected leader in Washington. There were many with whom she could apply, and she sent in applications to several.
In the end, she received a reply from the office of Rep. Omar, a member of Congress with whom she almost didn’t apply. She couldn’t have been more thrilled.
“If I could have picked anyone out of over 400 Congress people, it would have been her. That was the goal, but I applied all over,” Wede said. “First of all, she’s Midwestern, but she’s also a political refugee, and that’s where my peace and justice studies major goes — the peace movement and anti-war. And that’s a lot of the stuff she stands for, and I found that intriguing.”
Her time as an intern was packed with work and responsibilities, all piled on top of her regular classwork at Georgetown. She juggled several assignments during her time as an intern. In addition to chatting with people such as the ambassador to Norway, she also took part in research projects, worked with constituents, answered phones and emails and gave tours.
It was an eye-opening experience, both to the process of lawmaking but also the pressure that comes along with it. She and her fellow interns occasionally had to answer phone calls from members of the public upset with Omar about her policy positions. Wede’s first day on the job was the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and Omar’s Muslim faith also drew focus, criticism and outright hatred.
She and her associates quickly developed a thick skin dealing with those situations, thanks in part to the supportive environment fostered by Omar’s office.
“That was a lot, because she’s the first hijabi Muslim woman in Congress, and so she feels a lot of the hate that that group gets,” Wede said. “So that day was a lot, but the office is very supportive.”
There were challenges, but there were also exciting moments.
She worked mostly at Omar’s Washington, D.C. office, but she did get a chance to spread her wings a bit. She recalled a moment when she and some fellow interns got to accompany Omar to the House floor for a vote.
“A lot of my work was actually in the office building, but the first time they let the interns walk the Congresswoman to vote? We got in the members-only elevator, and we walked right up to the House floor with her and stood in the hallway waiting for her to vote,” Wede said. “That was really cool. It was definitely a pinch-me moment. Like, how did I end up here?”
Her time as an intern came to a close recently, just in time for Wede to return to Mitchell for Christmas break. It’s a good time to reflect and prepare for her next semester out east, she said.
This coming semester will be a little more relaxed than her previous one. She said she intends to find part-time work again, but likely something that presses a little less on her schedule than the often fast-paced environment found in a U.S. Congresswoman’s office.
She said she wouldn’t trade anything for the time she spent working for Omar. It was the chance of a lifetime and a learning experience that will remain with her for the rest of her life, she said. Wede said she is looking at the possibility of law school after her undergraduate work is done, but she doesn’t necessarily see a career as an elected official in her future.
She’s just glad she got a chance to work with a leader she admires and respects, something she urges other potential interns to consider if they have the time and inclination, and to look at internships that may not necessarily align with their geographical location, but rather their political disposition.
Wede said those seeking to serve with members from their home state can certainly find satisfaction and fulfillment should they get hired there, but they shouldn’t necessarily limit their options to in-state possibilities. It’s a big country with opportunities from coast to coast, and she knows others can find a memorable experience wherever they choose to look.
“I think choosing a member of Congress that really aligns with your beliefs is important. I don’t know if I would have had the same experience if that’s not the route I had taken. I believe that for both sides. Apply for someone who stands for what you believe,” Wede said. “Take risks and just see what happens. Because life is full of surprises.”