My internship on Capitol Hill, already disrupted by the government shutdown, comes to an end next week. I have spent hours searching for similar congressional positions for a few weeks during the summer; however, nearly every website I visit says the same thing: applicants should be undergraduate students or graduate students, and only on rare occasions do they consider high schoolers. It quickly became discouraging to realize how few opportunities exist for high school students who are passionate about public policy but aren’t yet considered as serious candidates.
Many high school students I know closely follow international conflicts, trade debates, climate negotiations, and the effects of the current government shutdown. Young students don’t do this out of obligation or simply just living in Washington, D.C., but because we recognize how important decisions made in our government will impact the world around us. Yet, when trying to be considered for the same positions with a similar set of skills to those of undergraduate students who are only a few years older, the message we get is that our curiosity doesn’t count yet and that it isn’t fully developed.
This mindset needs to change. The laws being written today will directly decide the world we will grow into, and policymakers could benefit from hearing the perspectives of younger students that will live with the consequences of their decisions. High school students don’t need powerful titles to feel involved, but we do need the ability to learn, observe, and contribute to shaping our future so we can ensure that one day we will be prepared to lead.
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