How She Got That Internship: Abby’s Internship At The National Federation of Republican Women

How She Got That Internship is a series that highlights conservative women’s internships in various organizations and positions to inspire the next generation of conservative women to lead. Did you, or a young woman that you know, have an internship experience you want to share with our readers? Submit it in this form and we will contact you if we think it would be a great fit for the series. 

Summer is perhaps the best time for young leaders to invest in themselves by gaining valuable work experience, namely through internships. As summer comes to a close and fall looms ahead, FFL is sitting down with a number interns to reflect on this year’s highlights and encourage more young leaders to apply for next year’s internships!

Abby Brinkman is currently attending Florida State University College of Law as a first year law student. She was recently selected to attend summer Officer Candidate School for the United States Marine Corps in her path to become a JAG Officer. Abby graduated from Shawnee State University in Ohio in 2018 with a degree in history and political science. She enjoys reading the news and whales.

How did you find out about the position, and why did you decide to apply?

I actually found it from a Google search about “republican women internship” and it came up. I had never heard of them before and I started reading about what they stood for and I actually found it to be somewhat similar to FFL’s core values. The National Federation of Republican Women (NFRW) stood for helping promote women in politics as well as issues that impact not only women, but the country. I was drawn to the idea of women helping women run for office and that is why I applied. It was also a big bonus that they covered my living expenses while I was intending in DC.

What was the driving force behind choosing to work at as a National Federation of Republican Women intern?

I knew I wanted to be in DC and that I could not afford the traditional internship for a Congressman, but I still wanted to have the experience of interning in DC. This was one of the few internships that helped me be able to afford this opportunity. I also liked the idea of not being tied down to one office, because yes, I interned for NFRW, but we did so many outreach events and volunteering that I never felt like I just worked in the office.

Have you interned before? If so, where?

Yes, I interned with the Ohio Attorney General’s office with the drug use prevention grants.

Describe a typical day at your internship.

There was no typical day, which is what I loved. We had some days in the NFRW office where we answered phone calls and managed the office. The majority of my internship was not spent in the office, it was spent volunteering on campaigns across the country such as Karen Handel and Ralph Norman. We also would attend events around DC. They paid for me to attend countless networking events and social hours. They would suggest events for us to go to such as meet and greets with politicians. We even took time out of being at the office to attend the WWII service at the memorial. They really strived for us to have a well-rounded experience and not just be in the office every day. Every day was different which was something I found to be very valuable.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of working for the National Federation of Republican Women?

The networking this internship provided was invaluable. I met so many people and gained so much experience as a whole. I got campaign experience, networking, office management, communication skills, and so much more. When I went into this internship I was ready and expected to be in the office answering phones and emails the majority of the time and it was anything but that.

What was the biggest WOW moment of your internship?

By fa,r it was working on Karen Handel’s successful congressional campaign in the 2017 special election. We worked on her campaign for over two weeks in Georgia and did everything from making calls to door knocking. We got to attend her election night watch party and we were able to see her win. Then, once we were back in DC, we were able to sit in the congressional gallery and watch her be sworn into Congress. Seeing a female politician throughout the entire process of campaigning to be sworn in and making her first vote in our national Capital was something I will never forget.   

Looking back over your time in the internship, what’s been the most valuable lesson you’ve learned as a result of your time working for the National Federation of Republican Women?

I learned that women supporting other women is something we need more of and should strive for. Seeing the NFRW and their women across the country support one another was incredible. Empowered women absolutely empower women and I had the chance to witness this first hand.

Would you apply to work at the National Federation of Republican Women again, and what advice would you give to future applicants?

I absolutely would, I loved it. I would just remind them that the applications for this are due much earlier than other applications. The NFRW is also the national level of the Republican Women, there are hundreds of local clubs in every state and I would encourage everyone to find their local club and join because locally they do a lot of fantastic work. You can find your local club, internship information, and scholarship opportunities on their website.

How She Got That Internship is a series that highlights conservative women’s internships in various organizations and positions to inspire the next generation of conservative women to lead. Did you, or a young woman that you know, have an internship experience you want to share with our readers? Submit it in this form and we will contact you if we think it would be a great fit for the series.