David Todisco, a Medford native and UMASS Lowell rising sophomore, got the opportunity of a lifetime this week. He was offered a two-week, all expenses paid trip to Philadelphia for a chance to witness history: the Democratic National Convention. Todisco has been a friend of mine since 2011 and I was able to watch him live out his dream. With one week spent in lectures and classes at Temple University, and the other week spent witnessing history at the convention, it is no exaggeration to call this an eyeopening experience.

Me: How did you get involved with this?
Todisco: Basically, the dean's office knew I was involved in politics and one of the assistant deans of the Fine Arts College at UMASS Lowell asked if I was interested in a two-week program. I graciously accepted and they gave me the opportunity to go on a two-week, all expenses paid trip to the DNC. I am so thankful to the dean's office for sending me and giving me this historical experience that I'll be able to tell my kids about some day.

Me: What is a normal day like for you?
David: A normal day for me during the academic week would be to wake up at 7 a.m., go to lectures, have a lunch break, then go to afternoon debriefing sessions. These lectures would include people like the CEO of the DNC, the district attorney of Pennsylvania, a reporter for ABC6 Action News and many other talented professors. It was so eye-opening to hear them all speak because they all had something different to say. Some of them would be inspiring, but some would be very straight up about where our nation was in terms of certain issues. Some would tell us that issues like immigration wouldn't be fixed within the next five years, where others were more hopeful that we could find a solution.

Me: What was your job at the DNC?
David: During our work week (the week of the DNC), I worked for NBC and MSNBC. My job title was "runner," which was not a glorified position in any way. However, it did give me a very honest look into the world that is media. My day would begin bright and early at 4 a.m., and it would end anywhere from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. I would then have to wake up a couple hours later to do it all over again. My day would consist of completing various tasks for the company like picking up reporters like Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell or Chris Mathews. It also could be things like getting lunch for the 90 people in the production staff. Some tasks were more glorified than others. The hours were not easy, but it certainly made for an interesting week.

Me: What is something you saw while you were there that someone might not have seen watching at home?
David: I saw a politician backstage who was very upset about a very small issue. Their reaction surprised me because this was a politician who I knew of and looked up to, but it helped me understand this person more when I saw them in their true colors. I saw a lot of attendees taken out by Secret Service for issues like not having the right credentials, to yelling very inappropriate things. We had protesters, but some went further than others.

Me: How did it feel to see history happen in front of you?
David: Having worked on Clinton's campaign, it was truly emotional to see her become the first female nominee in American history for a major party. Not only that, but seeing these people I looked up to growing up, like Michelle Obama and Barack Obama, speak within 200 feet of me was a surreal experience. I honestly teared up when President Obama gave the first speech that marks the beginning of the end of his presidency. I realized this week what strong and well poised leaders our president and first lady truly are. I also realized, however, that our nation is more than ready for this historical transition (the first female president) I believe we will experience.

Me: If you got the chance to go to the next convention, would you do it all over again?
David: Yes, I would definitely go. But I would hope to go as a delegate rather than a runner for a media company. I greatly appreciated the experience I had with NBC but I also realized that television media is a very different world than it looks.

Me: What did you learn?
David: I met a lot of millennials who are incredibly educated and inspired to change our country for the better. It makes me feel confident that they could be our future leaders. I also learned that Philadelphia is a very diverse city and the people there are incredibly kind. I also learned that I have a lot of work to do. I need to learn about more political leaders and I also need to know more about America's policies. I have a lot of reading to do in order to better understand American politics and law. I am incredibly grateful for UMASS Lowell's Fine Arts Dean's Office and the Washington Center for giving me this personal insight. I've been able to do something most Americans wouldn't dream of doing and I will never forget this.

All photos were taken by David Todisco himself.