Meet the recent Penn graduate who helped Trump's inauguration run smoothly

With all the pomp and circumstance surrounding the inauguration of 1968 Wharton graduate Donald J. Trump, it was difficult to miss Penn’s connection to the event.

But the connection wasn’t limited to the president himself. Not far from the Penn graduate taking the oath of highest office, inside the Capitol Building, was another Penn graduate. Behind the scenes, this recent alumna was involved in the inauguration in another capacity — she helped run it.

2016 College graduate Halie Craig works for the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, which, “every four years, since 1901, establishes what is called the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies,” she said.

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, in turn, is “responsible for the planning and execution of the swearing-in ceremonies for the Inauguration of the President of the United States at the U.S. Capitol,” according to the Senate website.

Craig’s involvement in behind the scenes policymaking at Penn through the Nominations and Elections Committee served as a precursor to her current role in the Senate. She described her role in the inauguration as a logistical one.

She explained that the committee’s role is “ensuring that everything flows smoothly inside the Capitol itself on January 20th, just making sure we adhere to the very strict timeline, that everything goes off without a hitch.”

“The scope of the work is just incredible,” Craig added.

Craig is proficient in Arabic and focused heavily on international relations during her time at Penn, but she loves her work in domestic politics on Capitol Hill.

“I think the Hill is also a great place to start if you want to have any exposure to politics,” she said. “You’re in the heart of everything that’s going on with the legislative branch.”

The Rules Committee, for which Craig is a non-designated staffer, has oversight jurisdiction ranging from the Capitol Police to the Smithsonian Institution. “It is more of an oversight and administration committee than it is a policymaking organ,” Craig noted.

However, that hasn’t stopped her from taking full advantage of the policymaking environment surrounding her.

“You have this front row seat to discussions about policy in every single issue area that impacts Americans,” she said.

Describing her colleagues as mission-driven and the atmosphere on the Hill as energetic, Craig added, “I get to work with amazing staff every day. It’s genuinely very humbling.”

And her role volunteering for the inauguration is no exception.

“It is a very American tradition and it’s extremely unique to the U.S. It’s just astounding,” Craig said. “I’m excited to play a part in it, even if it’s a small one.”