Mentorship Matters to Armani!
You interned at the D.C. Attorney General's office. What are the top three things you learned?
The fall semester of my junior year, I attended American University in Washington, D.C, and had the honor of interning in the mecca of politics. For four months, I served as the communications intern for the Office of the Attorney General of D.C. Karl Racine. In his office I learned the essence of being a public servant, how to use my voice to be a change agent, and along the way, discovered my role in the political process. I have always known that I wanted to go into politics, hence me being a political science major, but I did not know exactly what I wanted to do. I spent every summer since my freshman year of college working for politicians and trying to find where I fit in.
When I came to the AG's office, they welcomed me as part of the team—I was an intern yet they called me a colleague. That was lesson number one, no matter the position you held, every position was equally important. I soon learned this when they asked my opinion on projects and when I sat in meetings with the attorney general who dedicated himself to making sure interns received the best experience.
The second lesson I learned was when you have a seat at the table, use it to be a voice for those not represented. The irony of this lesson is that when Solange dropped her "A Seat at the Table" album, the album in which she won a Grammy. We all were winning.
Thirdly, I learned that politics required a sense of humility and willingness to be selfless in a very ego-driven field. After all, the Constitution does say "We the people," and it is your job to serve the people and be intentional about your impact.
"When you have a seat at the table,
use it to be a voice for those
not represented."
Did you experience any challenges while interning at the D.C. AG's office? If so, how did you overcome those challenges?
There were challenges at times. A majority of which came from having to learn new things. One thing about me is that I am open to learning, and never go into a situation with a mindset of knowing it all. I had a unique way of approaching difficult tasks and when things became too difficult, I had to step up and ask for help.
The internship demanded my best self and my best work ethic. Although my work was reviewed before submission to the AG, the senior staff trusted my judgment and the quality of my work. At first, the amount of confidence senior staff had in me scared me to my core and then I had to remember, they chose me because I had something to bring to the table. Overcoming the obstacle of believing in myself was not an easy task. However, I overcame that by practicing. You may be wondering, how do you practice confidence? I used alternatives. Instead of saying, "Here is the press release. I probably made errors so just double check." I would say, "Here is the press release. I've completed it to the best of my ability, and if by chance you need me to make corrections, please let me know." This became easier to the point I no longer had to say anything and handed it in.
How has Step Up prepared you for college and your internship?
Step Up challenged me to create spaces for women of diverse backgrounds to engage with each other. I am the proud co-founder and president of the L.O.V.E (Living Our Vision Everyday) Chapter—an organization for collegiate women of color. I do for them what Step Up did for me which gave me a safe space to speak on the things that impact my daily life. I've gained another sisterhood and with the support of Step Up, I was able to organize the women on my campus. We are now a two-time award-winning organization and impact over fifty collegiate women.
Regarding my internship, my Step Up mentor, Marietta, has been my support system. From needing advice, to deciding where I should intern and the things I encountered. She was there. She's always there and I'm grateful.
What is one piece of advice you can give current Step Up teens?
One piece of advice I'd give to Step Up teens is, don't ever underestimate the magnitude of who you are. You have a unique purpose and there are people and situations that may distract you from that purpose. I am a testament of when you stay true to who you are, know your worth and become intentional about your purpose. There isn't anything you cannot do.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
On the cover of every Essence, Time and People magazine. I'm speaking it into existence! On a more serious note, I plan to run for a seat in my district whether as an assembly member or councilwoman. This is after I graduate from a doctoral program and gain more experience with working with people in my community. I plan on eradicating systems that disenfranchise marginalized groups and hopefully, the Country will be receptive to my doing so. Until then, I am preparing myself to take this next step in my political career and return to D.C. somewhere on the Hill.
Inspire teens, like Armani, to reach their full potential and donate to become a Step Up member or renew your membership. As a member you have the opportunity to mentor Step Up teens as often as you can and help our teens become confident, college-bound, career-focused, and ready to join the next generation of professional women!
