“I always knew I wanted to move to Washington DC after graduation, but I didn’t know where to begin. I didn’t know anyone in DC and I wasn’t able to ever be a summer intern the Hill, so I was blindly applying to any job I could find posted on the internet. In October 2015, I received an email about an Arkansas Alum who was making a trip back to Fayetteville to discuss job searching in DC. I was thrilled to get this opportunity to speak with someone who graduated with the same major as I did and learn how he made it in Washington, so I immediately RSVP’d and counted down the days to meet Tommy Pevehouse. Unfortunately, his flight was delayed and he never made it to Fayetteville, but we were told we could email him if we still wanted to ask questions.

So I emailed him right away and we set up a phone call. We talked for nearly two hours. I was blown away by Tommy’s sincere passion and drive to help other Arkansans become successful and not make the same mistakes he did. As I listened to his story, I realized I was making many mistakes and needed to reroute my job searching game plan. Tommy reviewed my resume and his edits were vast, but much appreciated. I was obviously a little embarrassed when he returned my resume with the opening line of the email saying, “Don’t be discouraged by all the red marks…” My resume needed work, but more importantly Tommy expressed to me the importance of networking and having a community of people who are willing to help you along the way.

As graduation approached, I was offered a job in Little Rock and a paid internship in Washington, DC. I was torn between picking a steady job in Arkansas and a temporary internship in my dream city. I received advice was friends and family, but I knew I needed to reach out to Tommy and get his expert opinion. He encouraged me to move to DC for multiple reasons and I knew he was right. Three weeks after graduation I was living in our nation’s capital. Since moving here, I have continued to meet with Tommy and others like him from many different organizations and agencies. Making the initial move to DC for an internship was the best possible decision I could have made as recent graduate. At the end of my internship, I was offered a full time position working in government affairs with my organization where I continue to gain valuable experience. Additionally, I have had the opportunity to interview and meet employees from every agency that I hope to work for in the future. These opportunities would not have been possible if I had stayed in Arkansas and I can thank Tommy for motivating me to make the frightening journey to a big, new city. Tommy has been a trusted mentor of mine for over a year and I highly recommend him to anyone seeking career advice.”