Smiling Through the Losses: My Semester

Working for an Irish Senator

Rachel Kula
Table of Contents
Week 1....................................................................................................................... 3
Week 2....................................................................................................................... 5
Week 3....................................................................................................................... 6
Week 4....................................................................................................................... 7
Week 5....................................................................................................................... 8
Week 6....................................................................................................................... 9
Week 7..................................................................................................................... 10
Week 8..................................................................................................................... 11
Week 9..................................................................................................................... 12
Week 10................................................................................................................... 13
Week 11................................................................................................................... 14
Week 12................................................................................................................... 16
Week 13................................................................................................................... 17
Week 14................................................................................................................... 18
Week 15................................................................................................................... 19
Week 1
Complete Introduction Section: See on page 1 of Internship
Journals Description and Assignments

I am a junior at Loras, I am a Politics and Public Relations double major with a

Business minor, and after I graduate I hope to find a job in PR. I am working
for Senator Averil Power, who can be reached at averil.power@oireachtas.ie.

Although Averil is still working in the Senate, what I am understanding is that

I will be helping mostly with her election campaign. She is running for the
Dail, the Irish version of the House of Representatives. I havent seen an
organizational chart, and it is a rather informal chain of command. Because it
is so informal there arent really any policies, per se. I was told that it is a
business casual setting, but thats really it. I dont think there is a specific
candidate Averil is running against in the election, which is very unlike
American politics. I think what happens is the different parties try to win, but
its something I will have to figure out as time goes on. Averil is a public
servant so her funding is through the taxpayers, and shes there to serve her
constituency, which is a rather large area north of Dublin city, including
Howth. She has one full time assistant/secretary, named Doreen, and a full
time intern named David who is also helping with the re-election campaign. I
believe she is hiring another American intern to work the days Im not there. I
havent asked about benefits yet. The main issues Averil is working on for the
campaign is the lack of funding for a hospital in her district and an adoption
bill.

Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.

o What are the key events and features of this experience?

Its actually been kind of an odd experience so far, and one that I
definitely wasnt expecting. I thought I would be working mostly from
Leinster House, but on my first day I was told that we would be
working mostly from Averils house in Howth, which I was surprised by.
Her secretary, Doreen, took me there on the first day, which was kind
of weird but fine. It didnt seem like they really had all that much for
me to do, but Im expecting that as I continue to work I will have more
tasks to complete. They asked me to complete a task the first day that
involved me lying to people about why I was calling them, which I was
a little uncomfortable with, but they said it was fine. I hope they dont
have me do too much more of that going forward, but Ill have to use
my judgment if the situation arises again. I didnt want to rock the boat
on my second day, and it was really the only task they had for me, so I
just did it.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?
The first day I didnt really do much because Doreen and David were in the
process of moving the rest of Averils stuff from her office to her house. When
we got to her house there was nothing really for me to do because Averil
didnt tell me to bring my laptop so I didnt. I did some shredding and looked
through some informational brochures shes created for her constituents that
talk about what shes been doing for them in the Seanad and what she hopes
to do if shes elected to the Dail. After that they let me go home because I
couldnt really do anything else without a computer. The second day I called
schools to find out what time the different levels got done, which is when
they asked me to lie for them. I felt kind of uncomfortable with that, but they
said it was alright so I kind of just had to trust them on it. And like I said, I
didnt want to seem unwilling to perform tasks or anything on my second
day, and it seemed like a rather harmless lie, but it was still odd to me. After
that, I researched child care so Averil had some background information on
the topic before she was interviewed on a talk show later that night.

Although I didnt do much the first day and was uncomfortable with some of
what I did the second day, working on an election campaign is an experience
Ive always been interested in. Ive considered trying to pursue a career in PR
for political campaigns, and working for a Senator has always been a
professional goal of mine. I didnt do much to attain a personal goal of mine
this week, but I was really proud of myself when I didnt get lost on the way
home from Howth all by myself so that was a good moment for me!
Week 2
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What assumptions are you making about the people involved in this
experience, including yourself?
o What did you observe about your behaviour and actions and those of
others?

Im assuming that with the election looming, Averil is really under a lot
of stress and pressure which is why things around her house have been
so tense. We move at a really fast pace, and although Im sure it is kind
of like that the rest of the time working for her, I would assume a lot of
it is because the election is coming up. Her secretary Doreen was out
sick this past week, so I dont know if I can make any assumptions
about her really. The other intern, David, was really helpful in showing
me how to use their database, so Im assuming he has good
experience with these kinds of tasks. As for myself, I assumed my
allergies to her dogs would not be as bad as they were. Unfortunately,
it seems I was wrong. Hopefully it starts to get better, otherwise Im
going to run out of my allergy medication soon, and Im not sure what
Ill do if that happens. Additionally, I assumed that they would have me
doing more simple tasks, but when they had me start to work on the
database, I was pleasantly surprised. I also thought that I would have
more formal hours, but Averil kind of expects me to stay there until
late at night which has been hard for me to do because I have such a
long commute.

Its been a pretty nice environment to work in because Ive been able
to talk to David, and even Doreen a little bit last week, about the
differences between the US and Ireland. For example, it is a pretty
relaxed work environment on the grounds that we dont have set times
to do things really. We had a lunch break when we got hungry, and we
either worked through lunch or take a break. Its hard to tell only after
two weeks if these behaviors/actions are going to continue on as I keep
working for her, especially because Doreen was gone this past week.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

Like I said before, I started to work on Averils constituent database and

logging complaints or questions or requests her constituents have for her.
Learning how to use the database was kind of scary at first because it felt like
a lot of responsibility for only my second week. We also did a lot of walking
around and putting pamphlets in peoples mailboxes. I counted out
pamphlets and put them in stacks of 100. These tasks dont have much to do
with my professional goals really, and theyre terribly monotonous, but its
always good to have the experience. Databases are used quite frequently in
PR and even though they use one that hasnt been mentioned ever in my
classes, its not like its a bad thing to have experience with any kind of
database.
Week 3
Learning Plan Draft Due

Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.

o What does this experience point out to you about you own attitudes,
biases, or preferences?
o What are you learning about yourself through this internship?

I feel like this experience has been really unique because Im exposed to so many
different political issues, and although I have to pretty much represent Averils views
to her constituents, it does allow me to look at my own beliefs and ideas and
compare where she stands with where I do. Although she and I probably have
fundamentally different views on politics, the issues the Irish people are dealing
with are very different from what American politics is. Its been incredibly interesting
to hear her opinion, and the opinions of Doreen and David, on topics like Irish water
meters, women in politics, childcare, among others. This has really helped me form
my own opinions on these issues. Additionally, this has helped me learn more about
myself, my beliefs, and where I stand on certain political topics.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This past week I did a lot of folding of pamphlets and putting them in peoples
mailboxes. I also went through and added a lot of people on her Facebook page so
she can increase her reach on social media. On Wednesday I did a bit more work on
her constituent database, and prepared more pamphlets for delivery. The tasks that
were new this week werent very complicated or difficult, and didnt really help me
achieve any personal or professional goals, which was a little disappointing. They
called the election finally, though, which was really exciting. Working on an election
campaign has been a dream of mine, so just being able to say Im doing that is
really cool. Im hoping that now that the election is actually set Averil will have me
doing more exciting tasks than just folding leaflets, but I guess I will see as time
goes by.
Week 4
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o Reflect on your cultural experience; think about an attitude or opinion,
a social situation, learning a new word, a new food and response in one
or two paragraphs. Do not limit yourself to these examples.
Describe the experience
How did the experience make you feel?
What did you learn from it?

As an American, theres so much that I dont know about the Irish political scene.
I dont really understand the differences between the parties, the way their
elections take place, how they elect the candidates, and why they campaign the
way they do. One of my most informational and educational exchanges about the
Irish political system happened while I was on my way to work with one of Averils
other interns, David. Hes Irish, and it was so beneficial to get to ask him these
questions. We rode the DART together to Averils house on Wednesday morning,
and I got answers to most of my questions. It was a little embarrassing, honestly,
to have to ask him such simple questions. It felt like by this time I should already
know these things, and I really did try to look them up before I even started
working for Averil, but theyre also questions that I felt were best answered by an
actual Irish person interested in politics that has a good understanding of whats
going on. Although I felt a bit silly and childlike, after he answered my questions I
felt much more comfortable and knowledgeable than I did before, and could
finally start answering some questions that I was getting from family and friends
back home.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or professional
goals?

This week I did a lot of canvassing. I actually got to go door-to-door and talk to
people about Averil and give them a leaflet that outlines what she hopes to do if
shes elected to the Dail, and have interactions with regular Irish people. I was
pretty nervous at first, especially since there was a reporter and photographer
following us around, but another volunteer named Ciaran did a really good job of
teaching me how to do it and put me at ease. Ive also done a lot of folding of paper
which is rather boring. Canvassing has been quite a unique experience; Im not
really an extrovert or someone who can talk to strangers easily, so being forced to
do it, and with people from a completely different culture, has really forced me
outside of my comfort zone. As a communication major, I need to be able to have
these kinds of interaction and people skills, so that will really benefit me in my
career one day.
Week 5
Learning Plan Final Due

Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.

o How does this experience contradict or challenge your academic
knowledge?
o What, if anything, do you feel uncomfortable about in this situation?

I dont know if I would say that this experience contradicts anything Ive learned
while at Loras, but its definitely challenging me. I study American politics, so its
been kind of a challenge to get a good grasp on Irish politics and the issues facing
the Irish people in the election. I cant help but try to draw comparisons between
what I learn about in my politics classes and what I hear discussed at work. The two
systems are just so different that its hard to reconcile them in my mind, or
compartmentalize what Im learning into the right spot. Part of me honestly worries
that when I get back to Loras in the fall and Im in my politics classes, Ill forget that
Im not in Ireland anymore and Ill be dealing with American political issues, not Irish
ones. I wouldnt say that these differences make me feel uncomfortable, because I
knew that they would be there when I went into the situation. It can be
embarrassing when I need a basic question answered, but my co-workers know that
Im an American, and they understand that I dont know a whole lot about Irish
politics yet. Honestly, the only thing that makes me uncomfortable is that my views
differ quite a bit from Averils and the people she has working for her. It can be kind
of awkward at times because they all assume that I agree with everything she (and
they) stand for. I dont correct them because it doesnt bother me all that much, but
sometimes I can feel a little uncomfortable with that.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This week has been pretty similar to the others. Like Averil says a lot, a political
campaign is anything but glamorous. It was a lot of canvassing again this week, and
other than my aching feet, its been going well. I did a little more work with the
database this week as well, but I havent really had any new tasks. All we really can
do at this point is try to reach as many people as possible and create positive
connections between them and Averil. Canvassing is not as bad as I expected it to
be, and it is teaching me a lot about how to read people and if theyll even bother
being receptive to what Im going to say. Its also helping me learn how to check the
weather every day, because canvassing in the cold and the rain without a hat and
gloves is just downright miserable!
Week 6
Go back to Week 1 and fill in information on the organization that
you did not know for the Introduction at the beginning of the
internship.

Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.

o What are you learning about yourself? About others? About the world
around you?

Something Im learning about myself through this experience is that although I

myself would never, ever want to run for a political office of any sort (especially
after this), I could see myself working for a campaign at some point in my life. Yes, it
is incredibly stressful and exhausting and a lot of non-stop work, but I find
everything so interesting and exciting. I get that my perspective is different on this
because I have relatively little skin in the game. Im not Doreen, who might not
have a job if Averil doesnt win. However, if she does win, all that hard work is going
to pay off and it will be so exciting.
Through this experience, Im also learning that people are incredibly difficult to deal
with in large numbers. I think one of Doreen and Averils favorite sayings is Youre
damned if you do, youre damned if you dont. There isnt a single way to please
everyone. Some people get upset with Averil because she has people knocking on
their doors and interrupting them. Others get upset (and may not vote for her) if
she doesnt canvas their neighborhood and talk to them. The same goes with the
leaflets. It makes campaigning really difficult because you cant make everyone
happy, and thats really difficult.
Im getting a much broader perspective of the world through this internship. I not
only get to learn firsthand about Irish political issues, but Im getting to meet so
many people who have such different backgrounds from me. Ive met high school
students who are volunteering for Averil on their days off school. Ive met adults
who are Averils friends and have successful careers. Ive also met younger people,
and heard about their struggles finding work. Getting to know so many people has
been so interesting and has opened my eyes to more of whats going on in the
world around me, and for that I feel very fortunate.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

With this being the last week of work before the election, things have been
absolutely crazy. Fortunately, Averil has had so many volunteers coming in that she
hasnt needed me to go canvassing at all. Instead, I was put in charge of making
sure that letters and leaflets were sent out to constituents that Averil has helped in
the past. It was actually quite a long process, and I was working like crazy to make
sure it was being done properly. It was just kind of mindless busy work, but again, it
showed me what really goes into running a political campaign. Its not as glamorous
as its made to seem, and its a lot more work than youd expect. This insight is
really helpful and is teaching me so much about what I may want to have be my
career one day.
Week 7
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What emotions and thoughts does this experience trigger in you?
o What are you observing about your work environment? If you could,
what are two things you would keep and two things you would
change?

This week was much more emotional than any other week Ive worked for Averil.
Unfortunately, we found out on Tuesday that she lost her election, so it was
absolutely devastating to hear that. I didnt actually go in to work at all this week
because Doreen needed time off after the campaign, and if Doreen isnt working, I
cant work either. What really was just awful about the situation is that she only lost
by about 42 votes. Her constituency was known as the Constituency of Death
because out of 20 candidates, only 5 were elected. After all the hard work we put in,
though, to have her lose was just heartbreaking. It also leaves me with a bit of
uncertainty, because if she doesnt run for the Seanad, I dont even know if shell
keep me on as an intern, or if shell try to find me another politician to work for. All
in all, it was a really disappointing week. My work environment is probably very
different from my peers. For one, Im working out of a house, not an office. Its also
a small office, with it only being me, Averil, and Doreen now that the other intern,
David, has left. There are a lot of volunteers and dogs running around, which keeps
it lively, but also a little stressful, especially because I dont know any of the people
stopping by, and Averil and Doreen are friends with them all. If I had to keep two
things about the environment it would be the more relaxed dress code (theres no
reason to be too dressed up when Im just going to her house, and not Leinster
House) and the relaxed relationship I have with Doreen. If I could change two things,
I would choose to work in Leinster House and not Averils house, because its a
much longer and more expensive commute. Also, Im running out of allergy
medicine because she has dogs who I am terribly allergic to. I would also like to
have a better relationship with Averil. I spend most of my time with Doreen, and
whenever I see Averil she is running around and seems almost too busy to deal with
me. I understand the campaign made everything crazy and she was incredibly busy,
but Ive worked for her for over a month now and I still feel like she doesnt really
know me at all.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

Like I mentioned, I didnt work this week because of the election, so there were no
tasks for me. I did, however, learn that hard work doesnt always pay off, and Irish
elections could really use some more oversight. Averils constituency was very
reminiscent of Florida in the 2000 Presidential election between George W. Bush and
Al Gore. Ballots werent certified, mistakes were made, and hundreds of votes
couldnt be counted because of it. Its disappointing, especially with Averil losing,
and just shows that you cant always get what you want.
Week 8
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o You will soon have to represent this internship on your resum. Write
three bullet points about this internship now, while it is fresh in your
mind.

Developed knowledge of working on databases

Used social media to create positive connections between Averil and
constituents
Developed interpersonal skills through canvassing

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This week is almost like I started a new internship. Averil decided that since she lost
the Dail, now shes going to run for the Seanad. Luckily the style of the campaign is
completely different (i.e. not as much canvassing!), but it still is going to be hard
work. Also, it has to happen very quickly because ballot papers are sent out in 2
weeks, and by that point, most of the campaigning has to be done. I worked on
Facebook a lot this week, adding Trinity graduates, since they will be who elect her
or not. I also worked some more on the database, because there was just so much
for me to try to catch up on. Wednesday was a lot of fun because I got to follow her
around Trinity College as she filmed short videos for the campaign. It gave me a lot
of good insight into new aspects of campaigning that I hadnt seen yet, and it was a
really cool opportunity for me.
Week 9
First Snapshot Due: See Assignment In Portfolio Information

Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.

o What gaps do you recognize in your knowledge and/or skills related to
this experience?
o What is a challenge you have been presented with? How did you
handle it? What, if anything, would you do differently if presented with
the challenge again?

One obvious gap in knowledge that I have in my internship is not

understanding Irish politics very well. While I tried to research it before
arriving, and have done all I can to understand it since Ive gotten here, I
recognize that I wont be able to understand it like an actual Irish person can.
At least, I wont be able to in the time I have here. I have tried to ask as many
questions as I can (without being too annoying to my co-workers) and I know
my knowledge has increased exponentially since Ive arrived, but theres still
so much left to learn. In regards to a gap in skills, I would say it took me a
while to feel completely comfortable using the database that Averil uses in
her office because Ive never used one quite like it before. Another gap, that
is also a challenge Ive faced, was my initial discomfort with canvassing.
Although I am a PR major and am supposed to be excellent with
communicating, I was very apprehensive to go up to someones door and
force them into a conversation with me. Personally, I hate it when people do
that to me when I am at home, so I couldnt imagine having to do that to
someone so very different from me. Because I knew that would be part of my
tasks as Averils intern, I just told myself this was something Id have to get
over. Luckily, Averil made sure that there was someone more experienced
that tagged along with me at first to help me along. I dont think I would do
anything different if I had to do it again, except for try to not be so nervous.
There really was no need to be so scared, everyone was actually very nice.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This week has been one of the most frenzied weeks Ive had with Averil so far.
Because she started her campaign so much later than everyone else whos
running, we have so much work to make up. Pretty much all I worked on this
week was helping with the folding and stuffing of letters to be sent out or
hand delivered to the Trinity graduates living in Averils constituency. I worked
every day but St. Patricks Day because Averil was kind enough to give me
two weeks off for break. Averil and Doreen both really seemed to appreciate
the help, and there was more than enough work for me to do. I only wish I
couldve helped more, but with class and St. Patricks Day I did as much as I
could. Unsurprisingly, folding letters and putting them in envelopes is not
glamorous or exciting, so its hard to relate them to a personal or professional
goal Ive hoped to achieve. However, like Ive said before, just being a part of
helping her run a campaign is a goal of mine. Its showed me that campaigns
are far from being all fun and exciting all the time, and that perspective has
been very helpful and influential when planning the rest of my life.
Week 10
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o How would you describe this internship to an adult relative (e.g. aunt
or uncle) using only three sentences?
o If you were describing it at an interview, what would you tell them?
o What are the differences between those descriptions?

Relative: I work for an Irish senator who is running for re-election to the
senate, known as the Seanad in Ireland. I dont do a lot of exciting things, but
I do help out a lot by performing tasks that need to be done. Most of what I
do is work on a constituent database, but I also help prepare letters to be
sent out to voters, and I canvass for Averil and try to get people to vote for
her.

Interview: I worked as an intern for an Irish senator named Averil Power as

she ran her re-election campaign for the senate. Most of my work consisted
of working on a constituent database, canvassing and speaking with voters in
an attempt to persuade them to vote for Averil, but I also did some work on
social media outlets to promote Averils campaign. Working for Averil gave
me great experience with interpersonal communication and it was an
amazing opportunity for me.

If I were explaining this internship to a potential employer, I definitely

wouldnt tell them that my job was quite boring and full of mindless tasks
that dont have a whole lot to do with Public Relations, but I would be honest
in that sense with my aunt or uncle. I would also try to play up certain tasks I
completed, like social media use, because I know that would sound really
good to someone looking to hire me for PR. My aunt or uncle probably
wouldnt care about that part so much, so I wouldnt feel like I needed to
include it when I was talking to them.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This was my first week of Spring Break and I was lucky enough to have my
boyfriend come visit me. I was also very lucky because Averil gave me the
two weeks off that I asked for, so I was able to take my boyfriend around
Ireland and show him what Ive been up to the past few months. I knew I had
to take him to my favourite places, so I made sure to take him to the pier in
Howth and the beach at Greystones. No trip to Ireland is complete without
seeing the Cliffs of Moher, so we took a trip out to Galway and saw the cliffs,
and luckily the weather was much better than when we all went as a class!
We spent a few days around Dublin, walking through St. Stephens Green and
going to Temple Bar area and Grafton Street. It was such a relief to have
some time off after such a crazy few weeks, and even nicer that I got to share
it with my boyfriend. Im not looking to be a travel agent or anything, so there
wasnt too much relating back to my goals, but it was pretty nice to know
that I could actually get the two of us around without getting lost! That was a
goal I had before coming to Ireland, and I fulfilled it, which made me happy.
Week 11
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What have you learned from the tasks (about yourself or more
generally)?
o How does this cultural experience fit into your personal and
professional goals?

Although I really didnt care for it at first, canvassing has really been an
interesting opportunity thats given me a unique look at Irish life. I feel like
canvassing has taken me out of the students-only, city-centered lifestyle and
brought me out to the estates and shown me how real Irish people actually
live. I know what their houses look like and how theyre usually set up. Dublin
Bay North, Averils constituency and the area I spend my time working in, is
still technically a part of Dublin, but it isnt in the city. Personally, the tasks
have shown me that working on at a computer all day isnt really my thing. If
thats most of what I do at my job one day, thats alright, but it is exhausting.
I look forward to when Doreen says its time for us to go canvassing because
its a relief to get out of the house and look at something other than the
laptop screen for a while.

Professionally, this cultural experience is invaluable. PR is such a global field

that you need to have a knowledge of other cultures if you want to succeed.
Having studied abroad for 5 months and having travelled to what will end up
being 10 different countries gives me an advantage that many other people
in PR wont have. Personally, studying abroad was always a dream of mine.
My brother studied abroad, and ever since then its something Ive known Ive
always wanted to do. This experience has also definitely forced me out of my
comfort zone and into situations that I never wouldve put myself in normally,
but thats a really good thing. I never thought Id be able to navigate myself
around a foreign city where no one speaks the language, but Ive managed. I
never thought I would cross a rickety bridge over the Atlantic Ocean, but Ive
done that. This experience has forced me to be brave and take new risks,
which has been a really good goal for me to achieve.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This was the second week of my spring break, and I spent it traveling through
Italy and Spain with Emma and Tara. We started out in Venice on Easter
Sunday and spent a day there. Seeing the canals was so surreal and
beautiful. Fortunately we saw pretty much all there is to see in Venice in
those 24 hours and then we headed onto Florence, which definitely is one of
my favorite cities that Ive visited so far. I loved going up the steps of the
Duomo and seeing the whole city, and going to the river and seeing the
bridges at sunset was absolutely unreal. Also, the delicious food and wine
didnt hurt either! Although we werent able to see the David while we were
there, we got our first taste of Italian art when we visited the Vecchio
museum. As the birthplace of the Renaissance movement, we knew we had
to see some of the spectacular art. Unfortunately we only had a day and a
half in Florence, but then it was on to Rome. If anything could top Florence for
me, it would be Rome. To be surrounded by so much history and culture was
incredible. Just during the taxi ride from the train station to our Airbnb, we
saw so many important sites. During our time there we saw the Pantheon, the
Trevi Fountain, the Coliseum, the Roman Forum, the Vatican and St. Peters
Basilica, and so many other churches containing relics. We saw one of the
largest pieces of the cross Jesus was crucified on, a thorn from his crown, and
a nail used to crucify him, and we got to go up the steps that Jesus walked up
to meet Pontius Pilate. It was one of the most humbling experiences of my
life. It was so sad when our time in Rome came to an end, and getting to
Barcelona wasnt the greatest experience, but Barcelona was really cool. We
saw the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell and La Rambla, a large outdoor
market. This was one of the best weeks of my whole life. Seeing Italy has
always been a dream of mine, so being able to do that, even if it was only for
5 days, was an amazing experience. I saw so many things Ive dreamed about
my whole life and I couldnt have had a better time.
Week 12
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What connections did you expect to find between your classroom work
(USA and Ireland/Portugal) and the real world of the workplace?

When I first started with Averil I really had no idea what to expect. She had
told me a little bit about what I would be doing when I interviewed with her
over the phone during the fall semester, and I got a sheet from Margaret
when we met with her at first that outlined my duties, but everything was
different when I started. I had been under the impression that my PR
experience with writing, like press releases or fact sheets, would be utilized
with Averil. Unfortunately, that has not been the case, but to Averils credit,
that might be because she lost the election for the Dail. I know thats
changed a lot of stuff for her, and Im sure its affected my job as well. I have
gotten a lot out of my Politics major, though, because everyone always
wants to talk to me about American politics. I was hoping to get away from it
for a semester, but at least Ive been able to relate the internship back to
something Ive learned about in school. There isnt a lot of work Ive done in
my Politics class that relates, but just the knowledge Ive gained from my
international politics classes has been really helpful.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

My first week back after break involved a lot of canvassing. Its different from
the previous election, because we only have to knock on the doors of Trinity
graduates, so instead of going up to every house in an estate, we have
maybe two or three to find. Doreen and I would go in the afternoons, after
struggling with technology for the first half of the day. For some reason weve
been unable to log onto the connection for the Oireachtas, so weve spent
about an hour or two each day trying to get logged on. There have been so
many calls to the Tech Support at Leinster House, and for some reason they
havent been able to fix it. Its rather frustrating and annoying, so canvassing
was a nice, much-needed break from that every day. Unfortunately the
weather this week was rather terrible, with rain both afternoons we went out.
Doreen keeps making jokes that shes going to fire me if I cant start bringing
good weather with me, because the other American intern Averil has brings
the good weather with her when shes working. Hopefully next week I can do
better, because canvassing is already not so much fun. Its even worse when
its cold and raining and you cant feel your hands.
Week 13
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What are you doing during the break?
o How is this contributing to your international experience?
o Describe a cultural experience with the same questions as Week 4.

Im not on break this week, although another break would be nice with the
end of the semester coming up! However, I got a very unique cultural
experience this week at work when I met Doreens 10 year old daughter,
Kate. She was sick (although she was doing cartwheels later, so I think it
was a clever trick on Kates part ), so Doreen picked her up from school and
took her canvassing with us that afternoon. Katie was the funniest girl. She
was full of questions for me once she found out I was from America. Most of
them were about school and American candy and if I had tried this kind of
candy, and if they had these kinds of Irish candy in the states. She was so
excited when I showed her the American money I had in my wallet, and about
fainted when I gave her a $1 bill to keep. It was the cutest and funniest
experience Ive had with any Irish person so far. It was actually really helpful,
because she wanted to know how the years of Irish school translated into the
grades in America, which is something Ive wondered myself before. It was
also really cool because shes the first Irish kid Ive interacted with, which is
weird to think about, but we just dont get many opportunities to interact with
Irish children. I also havent talked about the US with someone like I did with
Katie in a long time, and it was really nice. It showed me how much stuff Ive
been missing since I left, but it also showed me how much stuff Im going to
miss when I leave Ireland. I left that day feeling like I gained a lot more
knowledge about Ireland and having made a new friend.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

This week was very similar to last week and followed the same pattern of
work. The first half of the day would be spent either working on the database
if we could log on, or trying to figure out how to log on if it was down. The
second half of the day would involve Doreen and I stopping for lunch
somewhere and then canvassing around various parts of Dublin Bay North.
Kates presence on Wednesday livened things up a bit, which was really nice.
She insisted on going with me when I had to go up to someones house, and
it kept things a bit more interesting. Doreen looked a bit exhausted, but I
thought having Kate around made canvassing much more fun. Although the
tasks are a bit repetitive and monotonous and basically the same each week,
I appreciate the unique opportunity this internship is offering me. I know
when I get home people will think its so cool and amazing that I had this
internship, and when it gets boring and frustrating I try to remember that so
it isnt so bad.
Week 14
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o How have your expectations and reality been the same or different in
the international setting compared to what you might find in the US?

Before I came to Ireland, most of what I had heard about the international
workplace from past study abroad students was that it is much more relaxed
than in the US. So, when I came over here, I was kind of expecting that. Yet
again, though, I found that my internship was different. It was much more
relaxed on certain things, like what time I should arrive in the morning, and
the fact that I was actually working from Averils house. If I was running a bit
late, Doreen never seemed to care. However, from other stories I heard, I was
expecting breaks to be common and deadlines lax. Working for Averil,
though, was very different. Granted, it was her entire job on the line for both
campaigns we ran, so I wasnt really expecting it to be that relaxed of an
internship. Although I didnt have deadlines exactly, I knew when Averil asked
me to get something done it meant she wanted it done immediately. I wasnt
upset by this kind of environment. In fact, I think its better for me to have an
internship like the one I did, because now when I go home it wont be too
terribly difficult to adjust back to the American workplace.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

Unfortunately this week was much the same as the past two weeks. I know
its important to go out and actually make these personal connections with
the constituents, it is exhausting. Doreen and I got pretty frustrated trying to
find the houses in these large complicated estates. For some reason, Ireland
doesnt put street signs on every new street, lane, or road in the
neighborhood. So if were trying to find Foxfield Grove, we could be driving
along Foxfield Lane thinking that were on the Grove. It is incredibly annoying
to spend 20 minutes looking for 3 houses in an estate, and even more so
when the people arent even at home then! I was very happy for Doreen
when she told me she was taking the next week off. She deserves the time.
Plus, if Doreen isnt working I cant either, so Ill get the week off too. That is,
unless Averil decides she needs me to come in and do some last minute stuff.
Im hoping that she will let me come to the count next week, but I dont know
if Im allowed. Hopefully she does because that would definitely accomplish a
goal of mine, especially if she won!
Week 15
Answer the weekly question(s) and respond.
o What kind of attitudes about work have you found in Ireland/Portugal?
o How is this same or different from work in the US?
o What is your own personal philosophy about work? A means to an
end? Drudgery? Meaningful? How does this tie into your values and
life in general?

My internship definitely gave me a different kind of perspective than I think

probably anyone elses did. I would guess that it was more high-pressured
than mostly everyones and that I had a vastly different workplace
environment. Like Ive said before, working for Averil was very much like work
in America. I know from my friends here that this is not always the case with
the rest of the Irish workforce, but it is the experience I have had. Granted,
there were some days, especially towards the end when the weather turned
nicer, that Doreen would look at me and say how much she wished she had
the time off. But, Doreen also was working mass amounts of overtime and I
think everyone, no matter the work environment in, would like time off when
the weather is beautiful. That leads me to my personal philosophy about
work. The idealist within me wants to say that work will be an exciting and
enjoyable part of my day every day, and that every night Ill come home from
work feeling like Ive accomplished something important. But the realist in me
knows that while I might have those days, I will also have frustrating days
that make me want to quit my job.

Summarize your tasks and what you are learning for the week. What
connection does the experience have to your personal or
professional goals?

Doreen took this week off so I technically didnt have to work this week.
However, it was election week for the Seanad, so I was a little anxious and
nervous all week. I got a call from Doreen on Wednesday that Averil wanted
me to go over to Trinity College, where the count was taking place, and help
out there. I hurried over as fast as I could and got to watch Irelands electoral
process happen. I was there to make sure that ballots were being counted
properly. Since everything is done by hand and they vote based on
preferences, it is important to have people there watching the counters and
ensuring that Averil was getting all the votes she was supposed to have. I
couldnt believe how crazy it was, especially since it was already well into the
second day of counting, but there were many people and most of the
different Irish news outlets covering the results. I felt very privileged to get to
see this kind of thing happen and get that first-hand experience, especially
since it isnt something many people can say theyve done. Unfortunately,
though, about 2 hours after I got to the count center, it became apparent that
Averil was going to lose yet another election. I left the count feeling very
down and upset. Although this internship didnt end the way I wanted it to at
all, I really did learn a lot. I didnt quite achieve my goal of working on a
successful campaign, but I definitely think I learned more from the losses.
Witnessing the count definitely achieved a personal and professional goal, so
I at least was able to do that this week. All in all, I am still very proud of the
work I did for Averil and I wouldnt trade this experience Ive had working for
her for anything.