Politics devotee Kate Hitchcock will travel from the capital to Capitol Hill in January after receiving a prestigious internship with a Democrat senator.
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The University of Canberra student, studying a double degree in politics and international relations and communication in media and public affairs, was one of 14 Australians to receive a place in the Uni-Capitol Washington Internship Programme.
Ms Hitchcock will intern in the office of California Democratic Congressman Mark DeSaulnier for two months. The placement will see her involved in everything from sorting mail to attending briefings, she said.
It's the perfect start to the new year for Ms Hitchcock, who was raised watching The West Wing.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Ms Hitchcock said.
"I think looking at the political climate in the US at the moment compared to previous years, there's a lot going on at the moment so it'll definitely be an interesting time to get over there and have a firsthand look.
"Thankfully I feel fortunate that I'm paired with a congressperson who I think, looking at everything that's going on, he's very calm and in a good space and I think not as frantic as some of the others."
Ms Hitchcock is scheduled to finish her degree in 2018 but is yet to settle on a career. She said she hoped her internship would help give her some certainty.
"I've done a bit of work with Seven News in the press gallery at Parliament House as well as the Department of Employment in an effort to kind of figure out exactly where I see myself, so I've always leaned towards the political side of things, but hopefully this paints a pretty good picture of what it might be like," she said.
