![\"Faith](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2013\/03\/Faith-Matthews-1.jpg\" "\\"Faith")
<\/a>Faith Matthews ’14, Comparative Sociology major, took a semester off from Puget Sound to pursue an internship for credit as a photographer with the Washington State Legislature<\/a>. Faith’s subjects? Olympia lawmakers in action!<\/p>\nCES:<\/b> How did you find your internship?<\/p>\n
FM:<\/b> An email sent out by CES listed a variety of different internships. The photography internship was at the very bottom of the email, and I decided to apply.<\/p>\n
It was the first internship I ever applied to. It wasn\u2019t paid, it was full time, and I\u2019d have to move to a new city\u2014but I love photography, and I wanted to make it work if at all possible.<\/p>\n
CES:<\/b> What does your role as a Legislative Photography Intern for the House entail?<\/p>\n
FM:<\/b> I photograph action (debates, speeches, voting, etc.) on the House and Senate floors, at committee meetings, and during events (rallies, inaugurations, press conferences); and also group photos around the Capitol campus of members and staff with constituents.<\/p>\n
CES:<\/b> What are you learning at your internship?<\/p>\n
FM:<\/b> As much as I\u2019m learning the technical aspects of photography, I\u2019m learning about how government works\u2014and the people who work within this structure.<\/p>\n
Being one of the photographers allows me to go behind the scenes and have access to pretty much all events that go on around the campus. I\u2019m not stuck in one place, or in a little cubicle writing constituent letters like some of the other interns. CES:<\/b> How is this internship helping you with your career exploration?<\/p>\n FM:<\/b> It definitely tests my motivation to be a photographer\u2014but only in this setting.<\/p>\n The legislature never closes during session. It\u2019s an 8-5 workday Monday-Friday with no holidays or closures because of weather. I’m expected to dress work professional <\/a>which is new and different for me. And all of this can be draining, but<\/p>\n once I get here and start taking photos\u2014and go through the process of capturing moments\u2014then editing them and sending them out, I forget about the uncomfortable shoes and the hours. I feel content and lucky to be here having this experience.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n CES:<\/b> How does pursuing your internship for credit enhance your experience?<\/p>\n FM:<\/b> Knowing that I still have a small tie to school keeps me grounded and reminds me to critically assess what I\u2019m learning here.<\/p>\n![\"Faith](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2013\/03\/Faith-Matthews-2-200x300.jpg\")
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![\"Faith](\"http:\/\/blogs.pugetsound.edu\/cesblogs\/files\/2013\/03\/Faith-Matthews-2-682x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/b>Janet Marcavage, who is my academic advisor for the internship, is a great resource for helping me take advantage of looking at the internship from the outside-in. I check in with her over the phone every couple of weeks and try to journal often. Without doing those two things, this experience would probably fly by without me really taking a second to digest or look back on what I\u2019m doing week by week.<\/p>\n