One taste of D.C. political life, and Gig Harbor intern is hooked.

Kelly Monro, a Gig Harbor resident and junior at Washington State University, took a step out of her comfort zone and into the nation’s capital.

In December, Monro finished a semester-long internship in the Washington, D.C. office of Representative Derek Kilmer — then plunged right into another one.

Monro, who is majoring in political science and philosophy and minoring in Chinese, said she found a quick and instant love for Washington D.C.

“There are some places you just feel like you are always supposed to be in,” Monro said. “Growing up, although Gig Harbor is beautiful, it wasn’t the place I wanted to spend the rest of my life. I got to DC and I could see myself living here.”

Monro, 21, is a graduate of Gig Harbor High School, Kopachuck Middle School and Artondale Elementary.

As an intern for the Gig Harbor Democrat, Monro answered phone calls, helped with correspondents, performed memo-based research, and did tasks around the capital.

Monro said by the end of the internship she felt like an employee rather than an intern. She said at the end of her internship Kilmer took her and the five other interns to the member’s dining facility, a fancier place in the capital.

“I wasn’t expecting we would all get to sit down and talk with Kilmer about what we are interested in and what he can do with us,” Monro said. “It was cool to see him take the time out of his day to treat his interns like that.”

She described Kilmer as one of the kindness people she has ever met.

“I feel like the standard expectation of any politician in DC is that they are nice, but aren’t interested in getting to know you,” Monro said. “Honestly, Kilmer is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Every conversation I’ve had with him is tailored toward him getting to know me, and being interested in my development through this internship program.”

Another hitch

Monro enjoyed her experiencing so much, in fact, that she decided to do it all over again. She’s currently in Washington D.C., interning for Representative Kim Schrier, (D-Issaquah) She said her duties of an intern are similar, but her experiences have been much different.

“Different offices have different feels and different vibes,” Monro said. “As similar as they are, I’ve gotten two different experiences, but both are good.”

With more experience comes more responsibility, and Monro has already been given a bit more legislative-based research duties for Schrier.

Mom is role model

Monro’s mother, Kris Monro, is a corporate event planner. She said she has always wanted her two daughters to travel and experience the world.

“It’s best to go travel when you are young and you can come home later. If you stay home when you are young, it’s hard to leave when you are older,” Kris said, who studied the same subjects as her daughter when she was in school.

Monro said her mother is a superstar and her inspiration. She said her mother was the one working while her father was the stay-at-home parent.

“From a very young age I never got the impression that girls couldn’t be the breadwinner of a household,” Monro said.

Monro said growing up with a strong, female influence has made herself into the strong woman she is today.

“It’s funny seeing how similar we are now,” Monro said. “I can’t help but notice how proud I am of the person I am becoming, because I am becoming more like my mom.”

Looking ahead, Monro is already planning on doing another summer internship in Washington D.C., saying her goal is to stay in the nation’s capital for as long as possible.

After graduation, Monro said grad-school might be in her future. Long term, Monro said she wants to work in government service.

“I can’t see myself doing anything else,” Monro said.

This story was originally published February 4, 2020 at 12:00 AM.