Princeton University Athletics
Will Garlinghouse
Looking To Help Others: Will Garlinghouse
November 13, 2023 | Men's Water Polo
Will Garlinghouse was looking to find a way to help his country.
He was drawn to Capitol Hill so he applied for an internship with Josh Gottheimer, a Congressman of New Jersey's fifth congressional district.
After he was accepted, he started in early June and worked for eight weeks. He worked in Gottheimer's office, writing memos on recommendations for the representative to co-sponsor certain bills. Garlinghouse also engaged with constituents on the phone and gave tours around the Capitol.
Every day, the junior would make the trip from Georgetown, where he was staying, to Capitol Hill. He'd begin with gathering the daily newspapers for Gottheimer followed by answering voicemails and keeping track of what votes were on the table for the day.
He did all of that in a suit and tie because the House of Representatives were in session.
"I really enjoyed the feeling that I was helping people," said Garlinghouse about the experience. "I wasn't making any decisions or voting on bills that are going to change people's lives, but I was providing input for somebody who was going to do that."
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs gave Garlinghouse a sense of what getting into public service was like as he was able to listen to speeches from General David Petraeus (Retired United States Army General) and Jerome Powell (Chair of the Federal Reserve).
"Getting to speak with those people through the opportunities that Princeton provides was a great experience," said the water polo player. "Many years ago, they were in my position as a Princeton student trying to figure it out. Hearing their stories of how they went through the working world, the values they had and the risks they had to take to get where they are today was really interesting."
Being an athlete was helpful when going through this internship.
"You have to show up to practice every day no matter how you're feeling to support teammates," said Garlinghouse. "That was super replicable in the office. Even if it was a terrible day in the office, if I can get through a two-hour water polo practice, I can get through a day on Capitol Hill. It teaches hard work, resiliency, and teamwork."
Garlinghouse had an overwhelming positive experience on Capitol Hill seeing Gottheimer work as the Democratic Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
"Seeing that firsthand was really impactful for me, because it showed me that even though the news is only going to talk about the crazy conflicts, to be in the belly of the beat, there are people who are working across the divide in Congress," said Garlinghouse.
He was drawn to Capitol Hill so he applied for an internship with Josh Gottheimer, a Congressman of New Jersey's fifth congressional district.
After he was accepted, he started in early June and worked for eight weeks. He worked in Gottheimer's office, writing memos on recommendations for the representative to co-sponsor certain bills. Garlinghouse also engaged with constituents on the phone and gave tours around the Capitol.
Every day, the junior would make the trip from Georgetown, where he was staying, to Capitol Hill. He'd begin with gathering the daily newspapers for Gottheimer followed by answering voicemails and keeping track of what votes were on the table for the day.
He did all of that in a suit and tie because the House of Representatives were in session.
"I really enjoyed the feeling that I was helping people," said Garlinghouse about the experience. "I wasn't making any decisions or voting on bills that are going to change people's lives, but I was providing input for somebody who was going to do that."
The Princeton School of Public and International Affairs gave Garlinghouse a sense of what getting into public service was like as he was able to listen to speeches from General David Petraeus (Retired United States Army General) and Jerome Powell (Chair of the Federal Reserve).
"Getting to speak with those people through the opportunities that Princeton provides was a great experience," said the water polo player. "Many years ago, they were in my position as a Princeton student trying to figure it out. Hearing their stories of how they went through the working world, the values they had and the risks they had to take to get where they are today was really interesting."
Being an athlete was helpful when going through this internship.
"You have to show up to practice every day no matter how you're feeling to support teammates," said Garlinghouse. "That was super replicable in the office. Even if it was a terrible day in the office, if I can get through a two-hour water polo practice, I can get through a day on Capitol Hill. It teaches hard work, resiliency, and teamwork."
Garlinghouse had an overwhelming positive experience on Capitol Hill seeing Gottheimer work as the Democratic Co-Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus.
"Seeing that firsthand was really impactful for me, because it showed me that even though the news is only going to talk about the crazy conflicts, to be in the belly of the beat, there are people who are working across the divide in Congress," said Garlinghouse.
Players Mentioned
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