When Katrina McNair started college, she had little interest in politics and was focused on pursuing a law career. Then she got a peek behind the curtain in Washington, D.C., and everything changed.

Last summer, McNair, who graduated from King’s Fork High School in 2008, worked for Congressman Bobby Scott, who represents Virginia’s Third District, and she found politics more interesting than she had thought it would be.

“He’s a huge congressional leader for criminal justice,” she said. “He taught me how to merge those loves (for criminal justice and politics) together and go after my dreams.”

Now, McNair, a 21-year-old senior at Virginia Commonwealth University, is preparing to enter the most rarefied levels of American politics. On Jan. 8, she will report to the White House to work for six months as an associate in the presidential personnel office.

“It’s a blessing,” McNair said. “I’m super excited about it.”

McNair said her recent passion for politics was inflamed last year, when she received a letter from the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, which had awarded her a scholarship in the past, asking her to apply for its summer internship.

“I thought, ‘Well, I’m about to graduate, and I need an internship,’ so I applied,” she said. “But then I was nervous about it, because I didn’t know anything about politics.”

McNair said she suddenly thought about the crises facing the nation last summer, such as the rising the level of debt, and she worried she wasn’t up to the challenge.

“I thought, ‘What am I doing?’” she said.

Fortunately, once she was in the position, everything fell into place.

McNair was assigned to Scott’s office and spent most of her summer responding to emails, answering phone calls, attending hearings with the congressman and writing summaries of different briefings for him to review.

“It was fun, but I was busy all summer,” she said.

At the end of her internship, McNair was invited to the annual legislative conference in September.

“While I was there, I met a lady in the (presidential personnel) office and stayed in contact with her, and she found this opportunity for me,” she said.

While she doesn’t know exactly what her duties will be, McNair said she is looking forward to working in the office, which handles hiring for numerous government agencies.

“I’m hoping by working with them, they will help me find a government agency I can work in,” she said.

McNair hopes for a position that combines her love for the criminal justice system and for helping young people.

She also hopes the position will introduce her to new people.

“I’m hoping by working with them I can network and meet people, and new opportunities will open up,” she said.

McNair is set to graduate in May. After college, she plans to take a year off to earn money to go to law school at Georgetown University.

“I’m trying to not take the easier road and aim higher,” she said.