I spent my day with Congressman Mr. Michael Ferguson from New Jersey. I got to know him through my classmate Elizabeth Santorum, the daughter of former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ferguson was very nice to agree to the appointment and to take time to help me experience such a wonderful and useful time. First I will write some facts about Mr. Ferguson.

I started preparing for the meeting two days before I went. I prepared some questions to ask the Congressman, read some facts about New Jersey, his home state, and his biographical facts by visiting several official government websites.

The meeting was held in the Cannon Building in Washington, D.C. It is a historically magnificent building itself. It was built in 1905 and is the oldest congressional building and also a significant example of the Beaux Arts style of Architecture.

Mr. Ferguson’s office number is 214. It is a very nice room. There are portraits of people who are important to the Congressman, such as his wife and children, some pictures connected with his interests – a picture of Mr. Ferguson and his children with a famous musician, and pictures from the things he does as a part of his job. First I met people who work for Mr. Ferguson. They were all are very nice people and treated me with interest and warmth. They asked me some questions about my home country, how I like it here and about my plans for the future.

Mr. Ferguson appeared to be a very pleasant man. I had a conversation with him right after I met him. I told him about my place of origin, my experience in Russia and my goals.

Then the staff members took me on a trip to the Capitol. I found out many new interesting facts about the building of the Capitol, about its history, the location of different parts, saw many beautiful pieces of art and learned some new facts about the U.S. history.

Then I came back to the Cannon Building and listened to Mr. Ferguson give an interview for a TV program on the subject of dangerous medications being prescribed to children. I noticed that he spoke very clearly, explained his points of view in detail proving that he had a great understanding of what he was talking about and he showed that he was really involved in the subject.

Next I had a wonderful chance given to me by Mr. Ferguson to see him and the other members of the House voting. I visited the House Chamber and saw how the U.S. Congress approved two bills.

This day was very useful for me. Not only did I learn many new interesting facts about the Capitol, its history, the government and its structure but I also learned about leadership and what one must know to be a good leader. I asked Mr. Ferguson many questions which I was interested in and he was glad to share his experience with me. Here are some of them:

Q: How do you know what people want? What do you do to gain their trust?
A: When you run for a campaign, you show people what you believe in, your positions on issues. It is more about people electing the representatives who have convictions. Leadership for me is knowing in your heart what you believe is right and being able to convince people. I always try to find the right policy and convince people that it is right. There is surely diversity of opinions which has always existed. What people do is choose what is more important to them and then choose who is closer to their opinion.

Sometimes there are people who care only about getting into office for themselves, who don’t have beliefs and opinions. And it is not good for the country. And of course, it is necessary to ask for advice. I always ask people I believe to be smarter than I am for advice. One person whose advice is very valuable for me is the President of the World Bank.

Q: Why did you decide to become a politician?
A: I wanted to serve the country. I studied political institutions in my school and I started admiring what politicians did for my country to help it achieve greatness, respect, dignity and give freedom to people. I really admire our political system. I thought I had some talents in the political sphere and energy and so decided to try it. Some people said I was crazy. I lost the first time but I won the second time.

ASSE FLEX Exchange Student, Karina Medvedeva with Congressman, Michael Ferguson of New Jersey on the U.S. Capitol steps.

Q: Which qualities do you think a good leader should have?
A: I think it’s very important for a leader to have humility among his or her qualities. The leader should be humble to know that you are not always right and should be able to ask advice and to gain wisdom from other people. Politics is not to enrich yourself but to serve people.

Q: I read that you were going to retire. Is it because you want to spend more time with your family?
A: Yes, it’s extremely difficult for the family. I needed to make a sacrifice to accomplish some good. But there are always other ways to serve people. For example, I always admired the job of policemen. I think it’s a wonderful way to serve people.

Q: What languages do you know?
A: I took Latin, Spanish and Italian.

Q: Have you ever been to Russia?
A: I’ve been to Leningrad and Moscow in 1988. I was in the Soviet Union for two weeks. It was not long, but I liked it. I think Russia is a very interesting place to visit.

Q: Have you met the President of the United States? How does it feel to
meet him, to be in one room with him?
A: Yes, I often have a chance to work with him. I feel a great respect for him and for what he is doing. He is a very smart man and I learn a lot from him.

Q: I read some information about you on your website and it said that you were the Executive Director of the Catholic Campaign for America. Does religion affect your life?
A: Sure, in lots of ways. Religion should always affect you. If you worship things in a positive way, it will have the positive effect. It helps people to be more charitable and compassionate in a genuine way.

Capitol Hill is a very quiet and safe place. I was very surprised and excited when I met actor Ben Affleck in the House Chamber gallery. Congressman Ferguson introduced me to him and told him that I was an exchange student from Russia (Ferguson: “Ben, this is Kira from Russia.” Affleck: “Cool! Nice to meet you!”) He was there because he played a Congressman in a movie and had a personal interest. He seemed to be well-acquainted with many Congressmen and he was very outgoing and nice. Later when I returned to the Cannon Building and shared my experience of meeting a celebrity, the staff members didn’t believe me but were very excited when they found out it was true.

I have so many things to say about this day. It was very intense and useful, but the main thing in this day for me was that I learned a lot about the American Government and saw myself how things are done. America is a country where anyone can become a Congressman and make a career in politics if he or she has talents and interests in this sphere. My experience was truly amazing. I realize that not all the people, even American citizens, have a chance to make such a wonderful trip to the Capitol and see the life of politicians. I really appreciated the opportunity to learn which Mr. Ferguson gave me and I’m encouraged to study even more about America and different aspects of its culture and politics.