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2020 is a big year for political campaigns – all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representative, 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate, and the Office of the President will be contested. At the local level, Jonah Alemany '21 has a front seat. The communication major is working as an intern this semester with Congressman Joe Kennedy III for his campaign running to serve Massachusetts in the U.S. Senate.
Among a pool of interns serving the campaign, Alemany helps with outreach to local supporters, answers phones, and conducts data entry and analysis. Other projects include supporting the communications department with event management.
"I was a Caucus Captain for a town hall event in Milton where I was able to meet with our local delegates and find out their reasons for supporting the campaign as well as fostering new connections into our local Massachusetts community," he says.
Though the politician has recently suspended campaign-related activities in the face of the COVID-19 threat, opting to produce evening broadcasts at home to engage with supporters, Alemany has learned a lot about himself through the work experience.
"I'm somewhat of a perfectionist who likes to take their time. Through this humbling experience I have found that working under pressure can be a gift. I learned that for myself, the key to success is confidence, being vocal, and always striving to be more efficient."
While he has no plans to pursue politics, Alemany is grateful for the opportunity to experience how even small, grassroots campaigning can impact social influence. "I've learned that even the smallest of actions can have the largest impacts on people. This experience has taught me the valuable lesson of keeping one's mind open to new ideas and opinions."
With a passion for film and television production, Alemany hopes to work at a production company after graduating next year. "One day, I hope to make it as a cinematographer, but for now, I just wish to have the opportunity to help tell an amazing story."