It’s been nearly a decade since I left Washington for Los Angeles, and yet, as I prepared to arrive in the nation’s capital this week, it felt a bit like I was coming home. 

Perhaps I feel so connected to D.C. because, for awhile there, it was the city I’d lived in most of my adult life. Or more to the point, where I forged my professional path. That’s why I still push my USC Annenberg students to consider starting out here — a place with so many possibilities.

After all, without my time in Washington there would be no Professor Bellantoni, and I wouldn’t be leading 11 students on this two-week career trek to open their eyes to potential — their own and this city’s. 

I arrived in Washington on Nov. 30, 2003. Within a few weeks, I had written about holiday events on the National Mall, met then-Gov. Mark Warner, whom I would be covering as a Virginia politics reporter, and interviewed former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. I also encountered people who would start as skeptical sources, become better ones as I bounced around newsrooms, and later, turn into dear friends. I tell these stories to my students to showcase lessons I learned over the years. 

Most of my advice boils down to the same rules that govern my second grader’s classroom: Work hard, be kind. 

While I’m eager to get back and see so many familiar and heartwarming faces and places, I have to be honest and say that since leaving in 2015, I’m also always glad to leave. 

Part of my problem with Washington is that everything is different now. It’s not just that no one spends time together socially on Capitol Hill. The Trump era ushered in a vibe not quite like anything anyone had ever seen. Then COVID-19. Jan. 6, 2021. In the nearly 10 years I’ve been gone, this town has changed. 

But even with all of that, I believe in D.C. And I think it’s best experienced in your 20s and 30s. If you can stick it out through your 30s, the possibilities in your 40s are broader and brighter.

I tell my students all the time the best thing I did for myself was take the risk and move to Washington for a job that was a substantial pay cut, into an apartment I’d never seen (advertised as convenient to D.C. despite barely being walking distance to the Van Dorn Metro Station). No risk, no reward.

The way I describe it to them is that Washington is a place you can master. That it’s small enough for you to make your way to the top. That you can build lasting relationships that will help you professionally and enrich your life. That everyone knows everyone. 

I vividly remember how 24-year-old Christina always walked around wide-eyed. Spotting someone I recognized from C-SPAN, going to the National Cathedral for the first time, covering community groups and meeting political celebrities I would later share green rooms with.

For this trip I’ve activated the network I first created nearly 22 years ago, and I love how everyone is so willing to share words of wisdom with the next generation.

“Take advantage of every opportunity both professionally and with all that D.C. has to offer. Enjoy the moment. As busy and hardworking as you are now, it won’t get any easier than right now,” said Matt Ortega, a native Californian like me who left “this town” after about a dozen years to raise a family back home. 

Ortega, who does digital creative work for progressive causes and candidates, said for all the people hating on Washington, it’s actually a great place to live. He described the years he was there — roughly 2007-2020, with New York in between — as “carefree” but also had a bit of practical advice: “Save a few bucks where you can.”

Over the next two weeks, I’m going to try to see Washington through the eyes of my students. They are eager to change the world. Together, we’ll observe Congress from the galleries, see journalists and staffers in action and even meet with some lawmakers. If you see us in the Capitol on Wednesday, please say hello!

We will stop by newsrooms, lobbying shops, foundations and government agencies. 

I’ve come to town with students a few times since I started teaching in 2018. We call it a “maymester,” basically a mini-semester once spring classes end.

The idea is to expose the students to a variety of early-career opportunities that match their skillsets. This group is studying communications, public relations or journalism across undergraduate and graduate programs.

They know how to be storytellers, how to apply ethics and best practices to media creation and consumption and they understand the importance of knowing your audience. Any one of them would be great at your internship, or would deserve a chance in your junior-level position. And if you’re my age or older, they know more about TikTok than we could ever learn. (Hire them!)

I’ve been thinking about the people starting out in Washington, and Rebecca Gale’s Hill Navigator advice column that used to run in Roll Call. Even though things change, her guidance remains sound, and Gale’s “Best intern ever” ebook holds up. 

She wrote the six things for interns to remember: “Stay professional, leave your opinions at the door, learn and follow the dress code, learn and follow the office’s social media policy, have meaningful and realistic expectations, and be humble.”

On my first D.C. trip alongside students in 2019, I remember a staffer in then-Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy’s office describing her first Hill job of setting up the flags that flank members at press conferences. She said she knew she was overqualified, but she used her ambition to be the best flag-fluffer she could be. More than that, this staffer told the students, she took pride in making the flags look terrific. It was the attitude shift that helped her leap quickly into higher positions with fancier titles, she said.

As Gale wrote, “No job is too big (or too small) for an intern. If you’re hoping to transition into a permanent position, show that you’re a willing and capable member of the team and you will be treated accordingly.”

I also tell the students that working hard and doing tasks that might not seem important to you is not the same as being treated poorly. Most employers want to see a young person flourish and grow. It also doesn’t help anyone to keep quiet about unethical behavior, abuse or harassment. 

I’ve noticed this generation cares deeply about holding true to their own personal ideals. The best job-search tool for them might be research to make sure they are only applying to roles that align with those values. 

Before they get to that part, these aspiring professionals need to experience this city. We’re here until May 28, and the students will get to witness a little bit of everything — jockeying over major legislation, thunderstorms, Memorial Day ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery and, hopefully, getting burgers at Good Stuff Eatery, which I still miss after all these years.

My favorite part of Gale’s book? It ends with a map of D.C. Restaurants change, people move and traffic patterns shift, but the grid system is forever. 

What advice would you go back and give your 24-year-old self? I’d love to hear from you: christina.bellantoni@usc.edu