I spent the summer working in the office of Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL). I worked on constituent relationships and the Congressman's public image, as well as with staffers to clarify scientific policy issues. I focused especially - but not exclusively - on energy topics because I plan to pursue a career in that field. Congressman Kinzinger is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce as well as on the Committee on Foreign Affairs so there were plenty of opportunities for me to watch interesting policies in the making. Either on behalf of the staffers or during my free time, I attended briefings and hearings and watched votes happen, and was thereby able to gain deeper insights into the political process from start to finish.