Ashley Brown interned with the Obama campaign in Chicago
Opportunity of a lifetime
Opportunity of a lifetime
And in one week, the Obama campaign was ready to bring Brown onto its religious affairs team. As an intern, Brown did not receive wages, but all of her
basic necessities were paid for and met by the Obama campaign. Instead of being put up in a hotel or a costly apartment, the Obama campaigned had
arranged for Brown to stay in supporter housing, housing offered as an in-kind donation to the campaign. Brown stayed with a family in Evanston in the house
that was used to film “Dennis the Menace.”
Next issue: Meeting Michelle and Barack
basic necessities were paid for and met by the Obama campaign. Instead of being put up in a hotel or a costly apartment, the Obama campaigned had
arranged for Brown to stay in supporter housing, housing offered as an in-kind donation to the campaign. Brown stayed with a family in Evanston in the house
that was used to film “Dennis the Menace.”
Next issue: Meeting Michelle and Barack
Obama Campaifgn Intern Ashley Brown (r) got
a chance to meet President-elect Barach
Obama in Chicago last summer.
a chance to meet President-elect Barach
Obama in Chicago last summer.
By Jonathan Gramling
Part 1 of 2
Ashley Brown had last summer all planned. She was going to take an American government summer class
at UW-Madison and was going to work at an internship. Well, she ended up working at an internship, just not the
one she had planned for herself.
Brown, a UW PEOPLE Program Scholar, got an e-mail from the PEOPLE Program and her life was
changed forever.
“I got the e-mail, which said ‘Obama campaign seeks journalism major with a strong Christian background,’”
Brown said as she took a break from studying at Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel “I was thinking like ‘Wow, this is one
heck of a job.’ I’m very close to my faith and I really love journalism. The fact I could use both in an internship
experience, working for Barack Obama, was just remarkable. Of course I talked to my parents.”
Brown had never lived away from home before and taking a job in Chicago was a pretty big jump. “I applied
for the position. They called me the same day and they said ‘We want to interview you tonight.’ I was like ‘Oh my
goodness!’ I was wondering what was happening. I had to call my parents. I didn’t know what was going on
because it was happening so fast. I had the interview and they offered me the job at the end of the interview.
Everything happened in 48 hours. That next week, I moved out of my apartment and headed for Chicago. I
probably didn’t get any sleep that week. I was prepared to stay in Madison. My lease went through August. All of
a sudden, I had to run and get boxes and start packing up my apartment. I had to sublet it and everything in one
week. It was frantic.”
Part 1 of 2
Ashley Brown had last summer all planned. She was going to take an American government summer class
at UW-Madison and was going to work at an internship. Well, she ended up working at an internship, just not the
one she had planned for herself.
Brown, a UW PEOPLE Program Scholar, got an e-mail from the PEOPLE Program and her life was
changed forever.
“I got the e-mail, which said ‘Obama campaign seeks journalism major with a strong Christian background,’”
Brown said as she took a break from studying at Wisconsin Lutheran Chapel “I was thinking like ‘Wow, this is one
heck of a job.’ I’m very close to my faith and I really love journalism. The fact I could use both in an internship
experience, working for Barack Obama, was just remarkable. Of course I talked to my parents.”
Brown had never lived away from home before and taking a job in Chicago was a pretty big jump. “I applied
for the position. They called me the same day and they said ‘We want to interview you tonight.’ I was like ‘Oh my
goodness!’ I was wondering what was happening. I had to call my parents. I didn’t know what was going on
because it was happening so fast. I had the interview and they offered me the job at the end of the interview.
Everything happened in 48 hours. That next week, I moved out of my apartment and headed for Chicago. I
probably didn’t get any sleep that week. I was prepared to stay in Madison. My lease went through August. All of
a sudden, I had to run and get boxes and start packing up my apartment. I had to sublet it and everything in one
week. It was frantic.”