As week six of the ANCA-Western Region Summer Internship comes to a close, I realized that one of the greatest lessons this experience has taught me is that leadership is a continuous learning process. Six weeks ago, I came into this internship expecting to learn about advocacy, public policy, and the Armenian Cause. While I certainly have, this week reminded me that the most valuable lesson extends beyond politics itself. Effective leadership is not about having every answer from the start. It is about remaining curious, embracing new experiences, and being willing to grow with each opportunity.

Throughout this week, we continued preparing for ANCA Advocacy Days, an annual event where Armenian Americans meet with Members of Congress in Washington, D.C., to advocate for issues affecting Armenia and the Armenian American community. We reached out to interested members, providing them with more information and encouraging them to participate. We also worked on HyeVotes scripts and videos while continuing to write our own personal op-eds. These assignments reminded me that advocacy begins long before legislation is debated or elections are won. Every conversation, every written message, and every effort to encourage civic participation helps strengthen our community. Together, these experiences taught all of us, interns, that meaningful change begins with consistent engagement.

One of the highlights of the week was hearing from Assemblymember John Harabedian, the only Armenian serving in the California State Legislature and the Chair of the California Armenian Legislative Caucus Foundation. His honesty about public service challenged many of our assumptions about politics. Rather than focusing solely on his accomplishments, he shared the realities of serving in elected office, explaining that politics can be difficult and, at times, lonely. Criticism is inevitable, and no one begins their career knowing everything. What stood out was his reminder that politics itself is a learning process. The strongest leaders are not those who claim to have every answer. They are the ones who continue learning and improving throughout their careers.

His message naturally connected with our conversation later in the week with Congresswoman Laura Friedman. She echoed a similar sentiment, describing politics as a learning curve that continually challenges those who choose public service. One experience she shared stood out to all of us: her visit to Artsakh. Hearing her describe how seeing Artsakh firsthand transformed her understanding reminded us that some lessons simply can not be learned from reports or headlines alone. True understanding often comes from listening and remaining open to perspectives that challenge what we think we already know. She also encouraged us to take things with a grain of salt, a reminder that thoughtful leadership requires patience and the ability to look beyond immediate reactions.

Listening to both speakers made me realize that leadership is about humility, not certainty. Public service requires the willingness to continue learning no matter how much experience someone has. That lesson applies just as much to us as interns. Every assignment we complete, every conversation we have, and every opportunity to engage with our community teaches us something new about advocacy and about ourselves.

As we continue our work, I am beginning to understand that our role goes beyond completing tasks. We are learning how to become stronger advocates, stronger communicators, and more engaged members of our community. Week six reminded me that every leader, regardless of where they are in their journey, is still learning. The willingness to embrace that process may be one of the most important qualities a public servant can have, and it is a lesson I hope to carry with me long after this internship comes to an end.