Just a few weeks ago, my best friend told me about her new internship at our local Republican Headquarters. She was set to work for Missouri’s Republican governor candidate Eric Greitens’s campaign until the election on November 8th. She had enthusiastically talked about her responsibilities, and eventually asked me to speak to her supervisor about interning for the campaign with her. I agreed to visit the headquarters with her the next day, as I viewed the internship as a chance to experience and learn about the political campaigning process; it seemed like the perfect opportunity to meet new people and personally become informed about the election itself.

‘How would I find time to work for the campaign? Would I be of any help? ’, I thought to myself as I anxiously walked through the doors of the headquarters. Not only was I worried about finding time for the internship, hundreds of versions of how my interview with the local campaign supervisor could go wrong clouded my mind. My best friend had reassured me that the process was not difficult and that I would only be asked some basic questions. Still, I could not help but feel nervous.

I was welcomed first, by a comfortable, open space decorated with tables, telephones, and a variety of Missouri’s Republican candidates’ signs lined up against the wall to my left. Above the signs, the words “Earn It” were painted in bright red with an assortment of black-marker signatures drawn around it. I had not known then that my own signature would soon make its way to the wall, as well.

As I walked further into the headquarters, I finally met Josh, our local campaign field director. He was energetic, passionate, and kind from the very beginning, and eventually calmed me of my anxiety. Even the interview itself felt more like a conversation as he asked me about my interests, my hobbies, and spoke about his own ambitions for both the campaign and for his future. His encouraging words and understanding nature solidified my decision to intern for the campaign.

I remember the first phone call I made that day. The task was simple; I would ask a few questions and record the answers provided by the people I called concerning the election. Although the concept of calling strangers had been intimidating, the entire process eventually became exciting. Towards the end of my shift, I could not help but smile every time someone decided to vote for Eric Greitens and soon, I personally became more interested in the candidate’s platform and beliefs. On the way home that night, I found myself reading news articles about Eric Greitens.

As my time spent at the headquarters accumulated, my interest and passion for the campaign grew. I was ecstatic when my best friend gave me a copy of one of Eric Greitens’s books, and I could not help but proudly plant the candidate’s sign in front of my own home; my friends and family soon became convinced that I was obsessed with the campaign.

However, I still cannot help but talk about my internship, about the headquarters, or about Eric Greitens. The entire experience is so much more than I had imagined. In just a few weeks, I have built so many wonderful relationships, have made countless memories with my best friend, come to understand a bit more what the political campaigning process is like, and most importantly, I realized again the importance of voting and becoming a politically active citizen. It is interesting to compare the facts discussed about Eric Greitens’s campaign in the headquarters to the information that is circulated and exposed by the media. I was shocked again by the media’s power to sway the people to think a certain way. Through the experience, I have realized that it is important to stay informed and to personally research the candidates that one is interested in.

More than anything, however, it has been exciting to get to know the ideas and policies that Mr. Eric Greitens believes. As a former navy seal and CEO of Mission Continues, a charity which serves war veterans, Missouri Republican gubernatorial candidate Eric Greitens has a vision for the state’s future that involves providing more jobs, cutting taxes, balancing the budget, and placing term limits on all state offices. As governor, he hopes to end the corruption that exists in the state’s legislature and provide policies that better serve and fit the needs of his constituents.

I am both blessed and humbled by the opportunity to support such a wonderful candidate and campaign.