the florida house messenger program
My experience with this opportunity and why more students should take advantage of it
In November of last year, I was offered a unique opportunity to become a Messenger in the Florida House of Representatives. During this week-long internship-like event, I was able to gain first-hand experience within the state of Florida's legislative system and to familiarize myself with the systems and procedures that make up the Florida Congress, not to mention learning simply how to navigate within the Florida Capitol. It was such a tremendously beneficial experience for me that at the end I was left with a single question- why does almost nobody know that this program exists?
When I received the application for the program, I had no idea what to expect. I knew that I would be missing school for a week to work in the city capitol of Florida, but I had no way to predict the kind of work that I would be doing.
Sending off my application was both exciting and nerve-wracking, because I had no idea what I was getting myself into. Without comprehensive information, I had doubts about whether I should even apply for the program.
But once I arrived, everything fell into place. All of the other students there- about 20 total, including myself- were also unsure what to do. We were all learning together, adjusting to our unfamiliar and confusing surroundings.
I shortly discovered that I would be doing more than delivering mail over the course of the week. The supervisor of the program made sure that we would have the full benefits of a learning experience. When we weren't delivering messages, we were drafting, debating, and passing mock bills, learning how the legislative process worked while two floors away, the real thing was playing out.
At the beginning of the week, the supervisor for the program assured us that we would, at the end of the program, know how to navigate the Florida Capitol and House Office Buildings with ease. Two or three days in, I thought I would never learn. The capitol complex in Florida is extremely confusing for newcomers: the Capitol building sits between the Senate Office Building and the House Office Building, or HOB, with
bridges connecting all of the structures. As a messenger, it was my responsibility to deliver mail and information to all 120 Representatives who worked in the Capitol. Some of the Representatives' offices were in the HOB and some were in the Capitol building, so understanding the layout was key. The first few days, I walked around with my nose in a map, constantly having to ask strangers for help with finding a certain Representative's office. However, by the end, it turned out that the supervisor had been right- I had gained a working knowledge of the Capitol complex, and almost never needed to rely on a map to get around.
If I had a learning curve with the physical structure and layout of the Capitol Complex, I had an even greater experience learning the actual workings of the Florida Congress. The legislative system of Florida had been explained to me many times, but I still found myself unable to grasp exactly how certain laws were passed, how committees were formed, and how it was decided which bills were assigned to which committees.
Seeing this process in real life- being able to sit in on real committee meetings and sessions- was an incredible learning opportunity, especially when combined with the mock bill activities. It was amazing to work on a mock bill myself, present it to a mock committee, and then defend it in mock session, all the while watching the real Florida legislative process out on the House floor.
The messenger program helped me build skills related to government and legislation, not to mention bolster my CV. However, despite the value of the program, it seemed to me that the average student had no idea it existed; every student who participated in the program with me either personally knew a government official or was involved in a Boys and Girls Club at their school. I myself only knew about the program because I had volunteered with a Port Commissioner, who informed me of it.
The lack of advertising of the program, in my opinion, prevents students from being able to seize this opportunity to increase their skills and experience. Not only those who personally know government officials should have the chance to be a House Messenger.
The value of the Florida House Messenger Program is undeniable, but many students are simply unaware that the program exists. More students should have the ability to gain experience and skills on the Florida House floor. If you want to investigate this opportunity for yourself, the FAQ section of the Florida House Messenger Program site is linked below.
Phoenix Boggs (11)
This is Phoenix's fourth year on The Edge staff. As the Editor, she is responsible for editing all of the writing in the Magazine. She spends most of her time watching Star Trek or The West Wing.