J unior Emily Lanham pinpoints the 2016 U.S. Presidential election between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton as the pivotal moment in life that led her to politics.

Little did she know she’d soon be a Georgia College & State University intern in the nation’s capital, working in U.S. Rep. Rick Allen’s (R-GA) office and rubbing elbows with congressmen in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Allen oversees District 12 in Georgia—which includes Lanham’s hometown, Augusta.

“I was ecstatic when I found out the news I got the internship and immediately called my dad, as he’s the one who got me interested in politics,” Lanham said. “It was at this moment I knew I was doing something I really loved.”

Lanham applied to the “GC in DC” program, guided by Christine Amezquita, assistant director of the university’s Pre-professional and Graduate School Planning program. The internship runs through Georgia College’s Career Center, which helped more than 160 students—with majors like mass communication, public health, criminal justice, management and marketing—find internships this summer.

They were located throughout Georgia and in other states, like Pennsylvania, to the capital region of Denmark, Køkøbenhavn.

More than 90% of employers say they’d hire Georgia College interns full time if given the opportunity, according to Chelsey Scoggins, an internship coordinator at the Career Center. Employers value internship experience, because it demonstrates a student’s practical application of skills, industry knowledge and readiness for the demands of the job market.

“I strongly encourage students to engage in these opportunities as early as possible,” Scoggins said. “Internships provide students the unique opportunity to gain first-hand knowledge of different career paths—empowering them to explore their interests and make more informed decisions about their future careers.”

During her six-week placement, Lanham lived at Catholic University of America in the heart of Washington D.C. She attended hearings and briefings; wrote constituent letters; answered phones; and did research and other administrative tasks.

“I truly wanted to experience the legislative process hands on,” Lanham said. “I learned how to implement diplomatic language when dealing with differing opinions and enhanced my ability to articulate my thoughts into a formal document for others to read and understand.”

The most challenging part was being alone in an unknown city. Going to a new place away from familiarity and learning city routines, like the metro system, was a little scary at first. But Lanham said she grew tremendously by stepping outside her comfort zone.

She felt able to do it with support from her political science professors, who encouraged her. They wrote recommendation letters and helped her practice for interviews. She feels ready to pursue her next step: law school and a possible run for office.

“This internship has been nothing short of proof that I’m on the right path for my future,” Laham said, “and I am beyond satisfied with my area of study.”

“I met some amazing fellow interns, staffers and members of Congress,” she said. “This internship has given me the confidence I needed to get involved in what interests me, and it showed me I’m capable of doing more.