When Maceda Berhanu submitted her resume to Apple’s internship portal, she never imagined she’d be spending her summer knee-deep in politics on Capitol Hill.
Yet the fourth-year Morrill Scholar is now doing just that, working as a government affairs intern on Apple’s environment, policy, and social initiatives team. From researching legislation to attending galas, the internship has given Berhanu an eye-opening look at the world of corporate lobbying and policy development.
"Every day is different. One thing I really appreciate about my team is that they let us decide what our week looks like,” Berhanu explained. “There are some things that are consistent, like tracking legislation and watching hearings, but they also let us go to other events that may be related to tech or AI to learn about tech policy. It’s nice that they expose us to other opportunities instead of just restricting us to what’s at Apple.”
Working out of Apple’s office, Berhanu spends much of her time drafting briefing materials for Congress members and staff. She has met with countless political heavyweights, including New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hassan and Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols, and attended events with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Presidents Bill Clinton and Joe Biden.
“A great part of the experience is having the opportunity to meet a lot of people, whether they’re members of Congress or work at a multi-client lobbying firm or consulting firm,” Berhanu said. “It exposes us to other opportunities we could pursue post-graduation and has just really opened my eyes to working on the Hill after graduation.”
A double major in public management, leadership, and policy and sociology, Berhanu says the internship has solidified her post-graduation career plans and given her a roadmap for success.
“I knew I wanted to work in policy, but I didn’t realize the steps that I needed to take to work in policy in corporate spaces. Prior to this experience, I thought I could just work at a corporate company and then maneuver my way to the policy team, but in any government affairs team at basically any company, a lot of those people worked on the Hill prior,” Berhanu noted. “This internship gave me a better understanding of the pipeline of getting where I want to go in the future.”
ODI Interns make their mark around the country
When she’s not in the office, Berhanu mingles at events around Washington DC, including the Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies 30th Awards Gala, a Coffee and Conversation at FGS Global, and the John Lewis Good Trouble Gala at the National Portrait Gallery.
“That event was very touching for me because learning about the history of John Lewis and how he impacted so many people was really inspiring,” Berhanu commented. “John Lewis’s son was there, and listening to him speak about his father and John Lewis’s legacy was very impactful.”
Although Berhanu has been expanding her network at Apple and the Capitol, she has also leaned on her Buckeye family during the internship experience.
“The support system from ODI has really helped me throughout this process. I’ve made friends from MSP, and they’re able to support me and take an interest in what I do,” Berhanu stated. “A lot of times, people don’t realize finding internships and figuring out what you want to do with your life is stressful, so that support is really important.”
As her internship concludes, Berhanu looks forward to returning to The Ohio State University armed with a fresh perspective and new talents.
“It’s the little things that will make you stand out compared to someone else who may not be looking at those small details,” Berhanu said. “It has been very rewarding to see myself grow in the skills that I’ll need both in school and in the future.”