Working at the NRA

By Lauren Alman

Working at the NRA

This summer I was an intern at the NRA. I had a lot of fun working there and it came with some amazing benefits. Out of all the benefits of working at the NRA the biggest one to me was being able to learn about different programs and more about the shooting sports. I even learned about rules and regulations for NRA and CMP (Civilian Marksmanship Program) rules.

Youth Programs is where I was working throughout my internship. There are many different activities in youth programs. Youth Programs consists of youth camps as well as the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program and much, much more! There are so many different activities and programs under Youth Programs that it’s hard to choose which one you want to try the most. Because I was working in Youth Programs I got to see a lot of neat things. I even got to help type up grant reports. I had a lot of fun working on the different projects and was glad that I was given the opportunity to do so. I was also thankful of the nice people who worked near me. The people in all of the programs are so nice and even if you have a million questions they will have a million and two answers, which was extremely helpful to me when I would frequently get lost in the building.

NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Va.

Refuse To Be A Victim ® and Women On Target ® were two very interesting programs, besides Youth Programs, that I learned about during my internship. Refuse To Be A Victim ® is a course you can take (non-firearm) to learn how to escape easily and defend yourself and, as the course is called, Refuse To Be A Victim ®. They go over concepts such as the use of mace, batons and pepper spray, as well as safety in your home and in your car. After learning a little bit about it I became really interested in signing myself and my parents up for a couple of classes!

Women On Target ® is also an amazing program. It is a program designed for women who either have not shot before, do not get to have the opportunity to shoot, or who have an interest in shooting. They cover many shooting activities from rifle to black powder to even archery! My dad had signed my mom and me up for one of their programs at the Fairfax-Centerville, Va., Izaak Walton League. My dad was helping the staff that day and had signed us up for different activities. But because no one had signed on for Archery they said anyone could go to it if they wanted. So instead of going to do pistol I tried archery and by the end of the day I was having so much fun with it! Because I am left eye dominant I shoot rifle left handed. So when I started archery I decided I would also do it left handed. The instructors were so nice and even showed their hunting bows. Hopefully I will get a chance to go back and try it again!

I was really excited when I heard I was going to be writing for InSights. I had worked with them before and had had a lot of fun! I love reading all of the short stories and so when I was offered the opportunity to write something I gratefully welcomed the chance. Opportunities like these really made working in the NRA fun! I had many new experiences and am glad that I was chosen for this job!