Making Changes in Her Home City: Jordan Bellamy ’20 in D.C.

Jordan Bellamy ’20 recently finished a federal internship on Capitol Hill—and she’s only a sophomore. Growing up in Washington, D.C., and spending much of her free time in high school giving back to her community, Jordan developed a deep passion for helping her city. She lived this out by volunteering at the Civil Air Patrol Auxiliary Force and as a reading mentor to young girls. “When I came to Gordon, I came as a Clarendon Scholar because of my heart for the city,” she says. A cultural and political philosophy Kenneth L. Pike major, Jordan’s interest in development and passion for politics led her to apply for an internship at a government agency—and she got it. Jordan spent the summer of 2017 as one of the Braden Joplin Memorial Interns, named in memory of Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson’s intern Braden Joplin, who died in a car crash last year. In this role, Jordan worked for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations (C.I.R.) to liaise with political appointees in furthering the work of HUD. Immersed in the world of public policy, Jordan says she grew in her understanding of faith in politics—an understanding she’s grateful to have developed so early on in her career. “It was really helpful knowing what professionalism looks like in the political realm, while trying to maintain your Christian ethics,” she says. “That’s something that was very important for me to learn now, and be aware of those tensions in the work force.” Jordan’s time in this coveted internship helped her refine professional skills like memo writing, participating in conference calls and taking notes during meetings. Back on campus this semester, she hopes to utilize her newly acquired skills as an editor for Princemere, a member of the Jerusalem and Athens Forum honors program, a student ambassador and the co-coordinator of LAUNCH—a Gordon-run professional development program. “I have a heart for this country and I really think we have something that is great in this nation,” Jordan says, “but I also believe that it needs to continue to move in a direction that seeks to promote justice, and given my Christian worldview, I hope to be a participant in engaging in this work.” Jordan’s summer of political insights and professional development has given her a clearer perspective of how she might apply her passion for service to a career back on Capitol Hill. “Right now,” she says, “it’s hard to say exactly where I want to be, but I know I want to get my masters and possibly go to law school, and then eventually have a career in politics to help citizens of this country.” By Megan Harvey ’19, communication arts