Class of 2021 First-Year Fellow: Michael Morck

As a First-Year Fellow, Michael Morck ’21 interned at the Office of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand under the mentorship of Kirsten Gillibrand ’88. The following is an excerpt from his final report.

This summer, I interned at the Office of Senator Gillibrand whose goal is to communicate the concerns and wants of the constituents of New York State to the rest of Congress. As she drafts legislation and considers bills both in committee and on the floor, she reviews the possible effects of the bill on New York residents. Despite the focus Senator Gillibrand maintains on serving her constituents, she still has her own agenda focused on women’s issues, gun reform, and veteran’s issues. She constantly pushes for solutions and reforms regarding these problems—while also bringing light the often overlooked issues such as the large number of Americans who lack access to simple banking services.

My core responsibilities in Senator Gillibrand’s office involved listening to and sending responses to comments or concerns from constituents over the phone and by mail. Outside of constituent services, I also drafted memos summarizing hearings for staffers upon their request, as well as ran letters for signature to other offices throughout the three senate buildings. Lastly, I was responsible for leading tours of the capitol for VIPs and anyone that requested a tour through the office.

The most valuable lesson I learned during my fellowship was the importance of maintaining connections. Without fail, each speaker during the brown bag lunches at my office would mention that at some point in their career a mentor or supervisor from the past has helped them move forward. The wide applicability of this lesson across a multitude of career paths makes it very valuable to me, considering I’m not sure I will follow a straightforward career path. Going forward, I see myself actively using connections I have developed in the past, whether in a more formal career capacity to gain access to more professional opportunities, or an informal capacity to develop new meaningful relationships with others.

I would like to thank the Rockefeller Center for providing grant support for my time interning in D.C. as well as providing civic skills training before the start of the program.