Working for the Legislative Body of King County, Washington
By June Hartman ‘26This summer, I interned for Girmay Zahilay, a King County Councilmember. The King County Council is the legislative body for King County, Washington, which has over two million residents. I worked in the District 2 office, which represents 200,000 constituents in Seattle and surrounding cities.
Over the course of the summer, I did numerous policy research projects (on Childcare, Healthcare, and the criminal justice system), compiled constituent feedback on legislation, and conducted meetings with community members and stakeholders. Some events I attended include:
- The annual King County Substance Use Conference
- The annual Target Zero Conference
- Site visits to Harborview Medical Center, Thrive International, Salvation Army, and more
- Community safety meetings in Rainier Beach, Skyway, the Central District, and more
Through working in a small, locally-focused government office, I gained experience in a wide variety of settings and tasks — from writing proclamations and community support letters to organizing events, I learned how government can be effective and serve the community. I’m looking forward to working more in policy and public service in the future, and I’m grateful for CXD’s support!
Internship funded by the Annual Fund For Career Readiness provided by Yang-Hua Chu P'26 and Wendy Chen P'26.