An adventurous intern with a U.K. eye

Having a father in the British Parliament can open doors. It can also land you an internship in Washington.

Just ask Claudia Conway, whose father, Derek Conway, is a parliamentary politician in the United Kingdom and counts Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) as one of his good friends.  

Politics has always been of interest to Claudia. During a gap year after high school she wanted to have practical experiences before returning to political theory books. She started off taking secretarial classes and, in the evening, working at London shows. She sold ice cream at “Mama Mia” and tended bar at “The Lion King.” She went to Switzerland to ski and Grenoble, France, to live with a French family and learn the language. Then she came here to Washington to be an intern.

“The best way to experience real life in American politics is to be here,” Conway said.

 Experiencing American politics as a British citizen has been inspiring. “It is very different — this is a lot bigger,” said Conway, remarking that Boozman’s office includes more than 10 aides while her father’s London office only has him and Conway’s mother, who serves as her husband’s secretary.

“It’s not difficult to see that politics is a lot more glamorous here,” she said. “Members [here] are treated with a kind of reverence that is unseen in the U.K.”

As an intern, Conway’s responsibilities include the typical sorting mail and giving tours.

“It is good fun,” Conway said. “I have to learn about American history. And everyone is different. It is interesting to get to know people from Arkansas.”

The accent barrier has been tricky for Conway as people are having a hard time understanding the King’s English.

“People always think my name is Julia,” says Conway, who explains that she has learned how to pronounce her first name in Americanese to spare confusion. Conway has also grown accustomed to saying “elevator” instead of “lift.”  She notes every other day new words “keep popping up.”