Owensboro resident interns with McConnell's office

Jun. 24—Owensboro resident Nicole Johnson has spent the last six weeks interning for U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell in Washington, D.C.

Johnson, a 2020 Daviess County High School graduate, is a senior at Grand Canyon University and is pursuing a major in communications and a minor in entrepreneurial studies.

"I was born and raised in Owensboro my whole life and grew up in a house where government and politics were talked about often," Johnson said.

Johnson, who returned to Owensboro from Washington, D.C. Saturday, said she began following Sen. McConnell in the newspaper and on television.

"I have dreamed about being an intern for him since I was a young girl," she said. "I always knew he had an internship program."

Johnson said there are three different intern sessions available through Sen. McConnell's Office, a spring, summer and fall session. The summer session is made up of two, six-week time periods.

Johnson said she worked on her application throughout the month of January, and had it postmarked by the Feb. 1 deadline for the summer session. She was officially McConnell's press intern between May 9 and June 17, 2022.

"I knew going to Capitol Hill would be such a great opportunity," Johnson said.

Sen. McConnell's Office offers internship opportunities for both legislative interns and press interns. Johnson spent her time on Capitol Hill as a press intern.

"I helped the press secretary with all things press, and all of us interns would give tours of the Capital, Russell (Senate Office Building) escorts and escorts in the Capitol building," she said. "I answered phones, we talked to constituents and we sorted through mail and made copies."

Johnson said her favorite part of the internship was being able to gain a better understanding of how the U.S. legislature functions.

"I am honored to have experienced this opportunity to witness history from a front row seat," Johnson said. "I have learned many valuable skills that I will bring with me into my future endeavors. I am so appreciative to have worked for the Republican leader while he works diligently to take care of our home state here in D.C."

Johnson said she would suggest the internship program to those considering it for their own future career paths.

"I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to apply," she said. "I think it was such a cool experience and it is one I will talk about my whole life."