TRIBUTES

Matthew Herrick

I had the honor to serve as an intern in the United States Congress. Before coming to Capitol Hill, I had great expectations of working directly with members of Congress, and sharing with them my passion for helping the needy and less fortunate in our country. Upon arriving on the Hill, my expectations were brought down to Earth, as I spent most days answering phones and leading constituent tours of the Capitol -  typical intern work.

Two months into my internship, just as I was thinking of quitting my internship, I was riding in the Senate subway thinking that I had a car to myself, when all of a sudden, Ted Kennedy jumps into my subway car. I was always in awe of Teddy, and as the train began to move, I stayed silent, thinking to myself, "Why would this great man ever want to talk to an intern like me?" But Ted broke the ice. He asked why I was looking sad. I told him that my internship was less than I had expected. I said that I had so many ideas, and nobody seemed to care what I thought. He said that he would promise to listen, and so I had my first one-on-one talk with a senator, Teddy of all people. He invited me back to his office, introduced me to his dogs, and allowed our conversation to continue for some time.

Teddy instilled in me that day that what I was doing was important, and he validated my self worth by telling me that I was a good person, bound to do great things. I will never forget how Teddy made me feel that day, because I carry that memory with me every day, now that I have moved up from intern to legislative director. I would have abandoned politics were it not for Teddy. I miss him!