By Whitney Baxter
After spending a summer interning in Washington, D.C., Ella Hommel is certain the big city is where she wants to be.
“It can be intimidating to go intern somewhere new, but the experience offers a great opportunity to try it out and see if you like it,” she said.
A senior in agricultural business and native of Eldora, Iowa, Hommel spent last summer interning with the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry for six weeks and an additional six weeks with Senator Chuck Grassley’s office. Her responsibilities included tracking reactions to a proposal Senator John Boozman introduced, researching the Clean Fuels Production Credit (section 45Z) and giving tours.
She also was selected to join the Stennis Center for Public Service Congressional Interns, which involved pitching why or why not an imaginary political party or representative should support a proposed bill.
Hommel said she enjoyed becoming part of the close-knit agriculture community in Washington, D.C. She reconnected with former state FFA officers from around the country she served alongside previously, who were interning at the nation’s capital.
Back on campus for her senior year, Hommel has been connecting her experiences in Washington, D.C., with the topics in her policy-centric classes.
“It’s been helpful to have context from real life and have a better understanding of what’s being discussed,” she said.
This semester and extending into the summer, Hommel is interning with Land O’Lakes, conducting work related to the company’s state government relations. Her goal is to attend law school and obtain a position working in agriculture policy.