1. Cassandra Plaster
2336 W. Hilltop Lane
Oak Creek, WI 53154
April, 13th, 2012
Susan Leister
Alverno College
3400 S. 43rd Street
P.O. Box 343922
Milwaukee, WI 53234
Mrs. Leister,
Spending this past semester in Washington, D.C. has been beneficial not only to my education, but
to my professional and personal growth as well. I have had the opportunity to implement what I
have learned over my education at Alverno in a practical work atmosphere. I have been able to
completely immerse myself into the political spectrum here in D.C. giving me immeasurable
confidence in myself as a professional in this field. Working with several different professionals
with different backgrounds and work characteristics, has helped me learn how to adapt and work
effectively and efficiently in a fast paced atmosphere. Please refer to the following when reviewing
time here in Washington, D.C.
Upon my arrival to the Washington Center, I was asked to create an individualized goal setting plan
for myself. I am proud to say that I have surpassed several of the goals I have set for myself. For
example, I wanted to attend several networking events in order to meet more professionals and
become more confident in myself as a professional. Within the past few months, I have attended 3
speaking engagements outside of the Washington Center, 3 political fundraisers and 3 hearings on
Capitol Hill. I have become better able to converse with professionals about issues concerning our
nation, government and political system today. I have also become more confident and am now able
to approach professionals and introduce myself confidently and effortlessly. Additionally, I have
made a conscious effort to achieve the goals I set for myself and was able to achieve each and every
one of the goals I set at the beginning of the semester. Furthermore, I have become more aware of
the importance of setting and achieving goals for myself. Goal setting plays an important role in my
life at this moment; setting realistic goals for myself will help me keep focused on tasks that will aid
me in securing the steps to my career.
The abilities based curriculum that is used at Alverno is definitely to thank for my success here in
Washington. In a way, I feel like my experience in Washington has been one of the most vital steps
in grooming me for the real world. I have had the chance to demonstrate each and every one of our
abilities in class or in the workplace. Communication and social interaction I used every single day
at mCapitol Management. I have become better able to communicate and work effectively with
people with different work styles, I found myself utilizing several lessons that I learned from Small

2. Group Behavior class. I was able to better develop my analytical and problem solving skills by
sifting through legislations, news stories, proposals and reports in order to decide the most
relevant information to pass on to my superiors and clients. I utilized problem solving by
overcoming obstacles I encountered in my daily workload with prioritizing and solving client
issues. My experience in Washington has helped me become more confident in my own values and
beliefs. Each and every day in Washington I have come into contact with views different from my
own; I have become better able to handle myself as a professional and explain the motivation
behind my stances. In addition, I would definitely say I have exceeded my own expectations when it
comes to developing a global perspective and effective citizenship. mCapitol Management has a
wide variety of clients, we represent small companies, cities, counties as well as giant global
corporations. I have better developed an understanding on how policies are influenced, formed and
passed. Following this further, I have participated hands on with lobbying members of Congress to
vote in a way that will secure our clients interests. Alverno has helped shape the budding young
professional I am becoming.
Undoubtedly, my experiences in Washington, D.C. will reverberate through my remaining
coursework, as well as onto my future career in politics. Being where everything happens has
reinforced the goals and dreams for my future in the United States political system. I can
confidently say that I have formed relationships that I am sure will carry through to my life as a
professional in this city after graduation. After the chance to work and live in Washington, D.C., I
can say that I am content and delighted in my choice to study political science, and cannot wait to
take my place in the system.
Thank you,
Cassandra Plaster