When I first read about Don Bacon’s Congressional Youth Advisory Academy, I was intrigued. The write up about the program said that it was an opportunity for students to gain an inside look at how Congress collaborates with federal agencies around the Omaha metro area.
Throughout my junior year of high school, I explored topics of politics and government, and fell in love with it. At the beginning of my senior year, I decided I wanted to major in political science. Politics and functions of society are always changing, and I’ve always felt it is important to be informed about what is happening around us.
Navigating my final year before I go to college, I felt motivated to explore opportunities within politics so I could have a more clear path for my future. That’s what led me to Bacon’s advisory academy.
There was a simple application process that required basic information, a couple paragraphs about why I would be a good fit for the program, why I was interested, and some basic signature pages.
I have never been the type of person to do things on a whim, especially something like this. I was intimidated. It seemed so serious being political, and I really cared about impressions considering I want to major in poli sci. It put a whole load of nervousness on me: I had no idea how many applicants there were, or how many schools had been offered this opportunity.
Normally, this would have overwhelmed me with anxiety, but I felt excited. This was such a great opportunity for me, considering the insight it might provide for my potential career. The application window was closing the day after I applied, so I didn’t have high hopes, but just figured I had no reason not to do it. Four days later, I was overcome with nervousness and excitement when I learned I was accepted.
Orientation was held at UNO’s Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center on Aug. 20, led by U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., with constituent liaison Christopher Garabrant and legislative assistant Curran Gilster.
I was one of the first students to arrive, having no idea what to expect.
Bacon himself came up to me and started making small talk. As nervous as I was, my nerves started to calm. Once everyone had entered the room, there were 25 upperclassmen from all over Omaha. Normally, not knowing anyone who would be there beforehand would stress me out, but the unknown had excited me.
Kicking off orientation, Congressman Bacon introduced himself by giving a little insight to his background, including his early childhood, early adulthood, his education, jobs, and his path that led him to becoming a Nebraska Congressman. He also touched on lesser known facts such as his nearly 30 year airforce background and his Head of Mental Health Committee position. After 30 minutes of background information, it was opened up for questions.
I had been so interested in every little detail Bacon had to say, and I knew that I had made the right decision taking a blind step and applying to the Academy. I found it especially interesting when he talked about his job, how he navigates Congress, his ties with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, his plans to build a new VA hospital in Omaha, lower home costs, every little bit of information. I especially appreciated his thought out answers, how everything he does can be backed with a reason, he knows his motives for his job.
The next two speakers were a mix of Curran Gilster and Christopher Garabrant. Gilster is Don Bacon’s Legislative Assistant who currently works in D.C.. We had the chance to Zoom with him and learned mostly about internship opportunities in college and how to gain connections in politics, which I appreciated hearing about. It got me more excited for my future.
Lastly, Constituent Liaison Christopher Garabrant talked about what activities we will be doing throughout the ‘25-’26 school year. Getting an introduction to various career pathways and gaining insight of how they work with congress, we will be visiting 5 sites year round. The first site (date to be determined) is Offutt Air Force Base. Other sites include the UNMC Davis Global Center (Oct, 18th), Omaha FBI Headquarters (Feb. 6th), US Army Corps of Engineers (April 25th), and the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (May 9th).
Stay tuned for a follow up of UNMC!
