Jim Youn ’14 – In D.C. Each morning, I’m shaken from my sleep by the noise that seeps in from outside; the hustle and bustle of the people of D.C., the morning construction crews, and the sound of my roommate’s alarm.

I get to work and get there on time, which means early, because of the fear of the real world. I know that in college I was cuddled and never faced the full consequences of my actions. However, in the world of the employed, there are no such things as second chances. With very limited experience in  a professional environment, I wanted to make sure that I got off to a great start. In a way, this fear of mine becomes a sort of respect for the professional world.

However, to call my workplace an environment driven by fear would be a grave mistake. My desire to get to work on time comes from a respect for what Eric Eversole ’94 brings to the table in his organization. Eric founded and directs the Military Voter Protection Project (MVP Project), a non-profit organization bent on improving the electoral process for military voters. His efforts supporting the MVP Project has slowly but surely begun a reaction that hopefully will become the catalyst to directing attention towards the plight of our servicemen.

My contribution towards this goal has been as the media arm of our organization. Working alongside my partner-in-crime, Andrew Dettmer ’15, I’ve experienced a great deal of responsibilities that have expanded my knowledge and given me confidence in my work. Together, we’ve worked daily to expand MVP Project’s range of interests. Establishing and expanding Facebook pages, attracting Twitter users, and contacting other partner organizations are just several of our duties that occupy our time each day.

While we may not always be successful with our methods, we learn from them. My experience at MVP Project has been filled with revisions and adjustments but each mistake made has been a lesson for me. Eric and the rest of the staff here at MVP Project have guided me on the how-to’s and do-not’s of this area of social media and extended a hand when I felt lost in the hustle and bustle of the ceaseless work environment. As a student looking into a field of law, I get the best of two worlds in a group that uses both litigation and the media to serve its goals.

With approximately 4 weeks left in D.C., I earnestly hope that there will be much more learning and fun on the way. I’m both thankful to Wabash’s Career Services, The Small Business Internship Fund, Eric, Andrew, as well as Tyler for making this a fantastic summer. Here’s to catching a big one on the Potomac!