As the 2008 Presidential elections approach, things in the political world begin to heat up.  It’s an exciting time in politics and an even more exciting time to be living and working in Washington, D.C.  Many TFAS alumni are fortunate enough to work on Capitol Hill, including Loren Streit (IBGA 05).

Streit has a unique opportunity to witness the inner workings of the Republican Party from her position in the Senate Republican Cloakroom.

Through her position, Streit advises members and staff on parliamentary procedure, helps to facilitate the Republican Leader’s strategy on the floor and keeps members updated on floor actions.

Streit, however, did not always know that she would end up back in D.C. after her time with TFAS.

After graduating from Rhodes College in 2006, she returned to her hometown of Dallas, Texas and began a career at Richards/Gravelle, a notable public relations firm.

While she enjoyed her time at Richards/Gravelle, Streit knew she would like to advance her career in public policy but was unsure how to take the first step. Hoping to gain advice from an accomplished Washingtonian, she contacted the man she interned for while attending a TFAS program, former Senator Don Nickles (R-Okla.).

Streit interned at the consulting firm The Nickles Group (TNG) during her time in the Institute on Business & Government Affairs in the summer of 2005. Senator Nickles, the founder of TNG, had told Streit that if she ever needed advice to call him. So, she did. He suggested that Streit move to D.C. and pointed her in the right direction.

“I think I was in the right place at the right time,” Streit said about her time with TFAS and her internship at TNG. “I am a firm believer that all things happen for a reason. As Senator Nickles put it, ‘I caught the D.C. fever.’”

Streit began researching jobs in Washington after speaking to Senator Nickles and made her way back to the nation’s capital in 2006.

“TFAS was a life changing experience in the sense that it opened doors for me. The Fund created a networking and educational environment that exposed me to a new world of possibilities,” said Streit. “It has provided me a solid niche in an often intense world of politics and business, something I think few people find here in D.C.”

Streit enjoys travel, reading and photography and is also a member of the 2008 TFAS Fellows program; a group of 16 alumni under the age of 30 who work in public policy in the Washington, D.C. metro area.