Last week, I got to go with some other student leaders to Washington, DC to lobby congresspeople as part of the Big XII and OU. It’s called Big XII on the Hill and it’s where student leaders from the Big XII universities go to Washington DC to remind our congresspeople of how important higher education is. First of all, I was totally nervous because I’ve never lobbied for anything before in my life! But, it was a ton of fun, and I learned a lot!

We got to meet with senators and representatives and tell them about what we think, and ideas for making college more affordable. That’s right – even as a senior, I’m trying to help our representatives know how important it is to make college affordable for YOU!

The first picture is me in front of the Capitol. In a suit. And heels. It was a painful two days walking all around Capitol Hill in high heels – I’ve got the blisters to prove it! But it was still fun, and kind of funny because we got mistaken for staff members due to our professional attire. I know this will come as a shock, but apparently tourists don’t normally dress in suits.

The middle picture is of those of us from OU (Me, Adam, Brett, and Barrett) with Mary Fallin! We got to meet her and talk with her, which was incredibly awesome considering she might be our next governor!

And finally, we got to do a little sightseeing when we were done lobbying for the day – I got to see the White House, the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History (and every girl’s favorite – the Hope Diamond!), the Holocaust Museum, the Washington Monument, and more! It was a jam-packed few days!

And even more fun – I got to celebrate my 22nd birthday while we were in Washington! That night, we got tickets to the House Gallery and got to watch the House of Representatives make the FINAL vote on health care (it was the reconciliation vote). So, it was kind of a cool birthday present to get to see history being made (regardless of whether you agree with it – it IS history!).

Anyway, all of this to say that there are some pretty cool opportunities here at OU. I never imagined I’d get to go and represent my university at the Capitol! OU really is the kind of place where you can make anything happen!