Bob Brown thinks a big misconception about Washington is that government employees don’t work hard.
“After interning in the House and in the White House, I wholeheartedly disagree,” said Brown, who recently graduated from Marymount University with a degree in communication. “The staff members I supported are some of the hardest working people I’ve met, and nobody that I met has lost sight of why anyone is there: to help the people of our nation.”
Brown put his share of long hours in at the White House, typically working from 8 a.m. until after 7 p.m., five days a week. But for a political junkie, it was a dream come true.
“One of the most incredible experiences in the internship was hearing President Obama speak to us in the East Room toward the end of the internship,” he said.
Brown also heard from Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle Obama, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, and Press Secretary Josh Earnest.
A native of Orange, Connecticut, Brown volunteered for a number of election campaigns in high school, ranging from town officials to President Obama’s 2008 effort. In his summer orientation session as a Marymount freshman, he promised himself he would at least apply to intern in Congress and at the White House.
He earned both internships. This past fall, he worked in the Washington office of Rep. Rosa DeLauro, a Connecticut Democrat. He did the White House internship during his final semester at Marymount in the Communications/Media Affairs and Press Office, supporting staff members, compiling daily news summaries within specific areas and creating press lists.
One of the reasons Brown chose Marymount was its proximity to the nation’s capital.
“Once I visited D.C. for an open house, I realized I enjoyed communicating a message and telling a story – not necessarily political,” he said.
During his time in college, the Eagle Scout also put his skills to work as a volunteer for the Boy Scouts of America’s Order of the Arrow email campaigns, social media and national newspaper. He’s also worked as a communications assistant and photographer at Marymount, where he is now employed in the office of University Advancement.
Photo Captions:
Bob Brown, ’15, did a spring internship at the White House. He is currently employed in the office of University Advancement.
