One CofC Student's Journey to Capitol Hill

Skylar Friday was grocery shopping when she spotted Jamie Harrison, the chair of the South Carolina Democratic Party, and decided to approach him.

“I’ve always been a talker,” says Friday, who walked right up to Harrison, her head held high, and told him about herself and her goals.

She had no idea just where her ability to think fast on her feet and strike up a conversation would land her, but her initiative impressed Harrison so much that day that he later invited her to the South Carolina Democratic Party Dinner in her hometown, Columbia, South Carolina.

Not only was the dinner an inspiring moment for Friday, but also a great networking opportunity. There, she met Congressman Jim Clyburn, who encouraged her to apply for a summer internship in Washington, D.C.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity

The College of Charleston political science major knew she wanted to explore more about the world of politics, so when she learned about the internship right in the heart of American politics, she was intrigued. And, with support from her peers at CofC as well as faculty members, she submitted her application to intern on Capitol Hill under Congressman Clyburn for Summer 2025. 

Friday recalls pacing back and forth in the office of Deronda Washington, senior associate director of student leadership and fraternity and sorority involvement in the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, just before her interviews. She’d been denied another opportunity she thought was perfect for her, causing her confidence to waver.

Looking back, Friday realizes if she’d gotten a yes, then she would have missed out on the once-in-a-lifetime chance to intern for Congressman Clyburn.

“One thing I had to remember was that there is a reason behind every no,” she says. “It’s hard to decide between summer internships.”

In the Right Place

Friday quickly realized that there was no better place to go than Capitol Hill, where she found a front-row seat to the inner workings of American democracy. Her time in D.C. allowed her to witness floor votes and the House Committee on Appropriations’ work, shadow politicians and even observe the passing of the Budget Reconciliation Bill. She was also there for the 10th anniversary of the Mother Emanuel A.M.E shooting.

The most surprising part of the internship was learning just how dedicated politicians are to their work. Friday noticed several congressmen even had cots in their office to keep up with the long hours of the job. From these committed mentors, she learned how to work under pressure and stay flexible during tumultuous times.

It’s something that had always inspired her about John Lewis, too. As chair for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Lewis suffered a skull fracture in the march from Selma to Montgomery – a pivotal moment that shocked the nation into action for voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement. For Friday – who decided she wanted to be a female John Lewis the first time she watched the movie, Selma – this serves as “testament to how your intentions may be positive and still have a negative reaction, but you have to keep going.”

It’s a sentiment that’s echoed in Friday’s favorite Maya Angelou quote: “We may encounter many defeats, but we must not be defeated.” Not only was Angelou an honorary member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., for which Friday serves as the CofC chapter president, but the quote itself reminds Friday of what she wants to do and everything she must go through to get there.

A Future of Possibilities

As a current senior with hopes to go to law school, Friday admits she’d often felt the outcome of law school left a narrow path career-wise. But, the recipient of the Alexandria Dengate Memorial Endowed Scholarship, the Alumni Greek Life Scholarships, the Ward B. Miller ’76 Scholarship and the Richard J. Sanders and Dorothy M. Sanders Endowed Scholarship says, her internship changed that and shaped how she envisioned her own future.

During her summer in the Capitol, she learned that the possibilities of a law degree are endless. She feels more secure in the idea that she has options post-law school: She can go on to practice law, work in politics or maybe even make her way back to Capitol Hill one day.

At the end of my time with Friday, she showed me her collection of keychains, and I saw the milestones of her life all strung together – from a Charleston keychain to represent her education at CofC to her newest addition, a challenge coin from Congressman Clyburn.

“It’s a nice reminder of where I’ve been, and that I can do it,” she says.

Indeed, Friday’s journey is only just beginning, with plenty more keychains to come.

Alyssa McDowell is a junior communication major with interests in writing and journalism. She serves as a peer facilitator with the Office of New Student Programs and an application support specialist with the Office of Admissions.