News Details

Katie Belle Rothkamm, a 2021 St. Joseph’s Academy graduate, spent the summer of 2023 as an intern for U.S. Congressman Garret Graves. The experience was so impactful that she knew she wanted to return to Capitol Hill for the summer of 2024.

Katie Belle applied for an internship with the office of Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and was accepted for the position. In her role, she was responsible for setting up meetings between the Speaker and members of Congress, serving as the first point of contact for citizens reaching out to the Speaker’s office, attending committee hearings and writing memos for the policy advisor covering the issue, and sitting in on meetings with staffers, then condensing the proceedings into memos. In her second week on the job, she assisted with the unveiling ceremony for a new Capitol statue of Reverend William Franklin “Billy” Graham, given to the National Statuary Hall Collection by the state of North Carolina.

“I learned much more about the intricacies of our legislative system and the role Congressmen play in it,” Katie said. “I also met with staffers from other offices to learn what I can about foreign affairs, a personal interest area. The most eye-opening aspect of my experience on Capitol Hill was just how much detail goes into our legislative process. It is so much more than media makes it seems, and working behind the scenes was such a cool thing to experience and learn about.”

Katie is a senior at Fordham University in New York City. She plans to return to Washington, D.C., after graduation. “I hope to work as a Capitol Hill staffer,” she said. “My preferred focus will be foreign policy.”