By Emma Slyker
At the beginning of February I joined the Legislative Team in the Maryland Chapter of the Sierra Club. I’m a college student majoring in environmental studies (not public policy!), and I’ve never had any experience working with any group like this before. I don’t exactly know what I want to do after I graduate, but I’m interested in exploring environmental law and policy as one of my options.
I’ll be honest, I was intimidated at first! I knew less than I thought about Maryland’s legislative system, and the group seemed very familiar with acronyms that I didn’t yet understand. The team was understanding, though, and would patiently explain any terms I needed. They’re a very welcoming bunch, and their experience and passion helped motivate me to learn more.
My reprieve came when I was assigned to take notes for the group with one of my fellow interns. Together, we could piece together what was going on in the meetings. Taking notes also forced me to pay strict attention to the meetings (in a good way!), and soon enough I was able to follow along. I was surprised with how quickly I picked up the lingo and learned what happens after a bill is introduced.
We made it all the way to the end of the legislative session, and by then I’d started to get invested! I was able to follow along with the different bills’ progress. I felt excited when a bill got through a specific committee or looked like it was about to pass. I felt the group’s frustration when bills got stuck or died. I started to look forward to the meetings and hearing the status reports for the different bills. I’m planning on joining the legislative team at the end of the session for their celebration and debrief meeting to look back on all that we’ve accomplished.
One of the best parts about being on the team was who I connected with. As someone interested in learning more about law school, I was thrilled to meet an environmental attorney and engage with her in an email correspondence. I never would have gotten the opportunity to ask her personal questions about her career without the legislative team. You never know who you’re going to meet and connect with as a result of opportunities like this one!
Overall, being part of the team, even briefly, was very rewarding. I’m proud of my role in helping the team stay organized with my note-taking, even if it was relatively small. I learned so much about Maryland’s legislative process, and I now have a better understanding of what I can do to track and influence local politics. I loved the experience of meeting new people and getting invested in specific bills. And, best of all, I know I did something to help the environment. If you’re thinking about joining a group within the Sierra Club, whether it be the legislative team or elsewhere, I say go for it!
