Filed under: Internships
This article offers some important insights.
The article appears in the 11/29/07 of The Simpsonian, Simpson College’s student newspaper. You can also view the article on the newspapers website by clicking here.
Reflecting from the Hill: Why more students need to work in Washington
Josie Rundlett/Contributing Writer
Issue date: 11/29/07 Section: Perspectives
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About six weeks ago, I was featured in The Simpsonian, talking about the semester I am experiencing as part of the Capitol Hill Internship Program, known locally as “CHIP.” With a scant three weeks left, I’ve come to the conclusion that CHIP is something every Simpsonite should think about doing.
Before you start to protest, saying you’re not a political science major, stop. I’m going to explain to you what I think are the top reasons to participate in CHIP.
Reason number one: It’s easy.
The story of CHIP is simple: Eight years ago, Nebraska Wesleyan decided they wanted to start a program to have students come to Washington and experience living and working there. After looking at how expensive Washington was, they decided to invite other Methodist-based colleges (Simpson included) to pool their money, lease a house on Capitol Hill and start a consortium.
The house is on Capitol Hill, and for the last 15 semesters (and every summer) these schools fill it with students. The idea is simple- students live in a group home, take two classes together and work four or five days a week.
To be part of CHIP, you first talk to your adviser and figure out your schedule. You then proceed to talk to political science professor, Dr. John Epperson, the CHIP representative at Simpson. Dr. Epperson will help you apply. Once accepted to CHIP, you start looking for an internship.
It seems every single place in Washington takes interns. There are literally thousands of jobs just waiting for you.
Reason number two: It’s affordable.
Washington has a reputation as being an expensive city. Through CHIP, you pay tuition to Simpson, but instead of paying room and board, you pay about $3,000 to CHIP to live in the house for the semester.
Any other expenses you accrue are things you are responsible for. It should be noted that, as far as entertainment is concerned, Washington is a cheap city. The monuments are free. The Smithsonians are all free. It’s not hard to spend a semester here without bankrupting yourself. Also, there are a lot of grants for people who are spending a semester being paid poorly. Look for them, there is money out there to help you.
Reason number three: Washington is the most powerful city in the world.
Washington is full of people with the ability and desire to change the world. If you like being in the middle of everything, Washington is the place for you.
While an intern, you may get to know the front desk phone or copy machine better than you would like, but you are still helping important things get done.
In the time that you’re not making copies, go watch a hearing. Go see the Dalai Lama receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. Go watch a case argued in front of the Supreme Court. Everyone says that your internship is what you make it, and I could not agree more.
It’s also important to remember that almost everyone started as an intern. When Senator Clinton was Hillary Rodham, she interned in Washington, as did her husband, to name only two. That being said, interning is a great way to get your foot in the door to unlimited connections.
Even if you do not have political aspirations, working in Washington will connect you to a whole different world than one you have ever seen.
In Washington, everyone knows someone who knows someone. This makes forming connections very easy. If you want to go to graduate or law school, congressmen write pretty good letters of recommendation.
Reason number four: There’s something for everyone in Washington.
It’s a common misconception that Washington is just for people who study political science. This is untrue. There are so many majors that you could have and get a great internship.
I’ll give some examples: any kind of business or finance scholar could work with the International Monetary Fund, World Bank or Federal Reserve, or the dozens of lobbying firms that reside in fancy buildings downtown.
A foreign language major? There are over 170 embassies in Washington, all of whom take interns.
Are you a sociology major? What interests you most? Washington is full of nonprofits doing everything from securing America’s water supply to ending sex trade. These examples stand by themselves, without considering the 535 congressional offices, any of their committees, or the countless think-tanks.
While these are by no means all of the reasons why Washington is a great place to come and be young, it is a start. I encourage anyone who has ever thought about studying somewhere else to explore being part of CHIP. We’ve got housing, we’ve got job possibilities and we’ve got roommates. Now, all we need is you.
Filed under: Internships
When considering internships, it is essential to ask questions about your specific tasks. For example, there are internship opportunities that offer a “household name” for your resume but your actual internship is not very challenging. In the long run, you will likely benefit more from a rigorous internship with a lesser known senator, think tank etc., then with a well known office that offers you only administrative tasks. The ideal is to find the internship in a prominent office that would afford you with opportunities to engage in substantive work.
Here is a prime example. Last summer, Aqsa Mahmud, a student in UGA’s Honors in Washington Internship Program, worked with the National Association of Counties (NACo) under the guidance of Jackie Byers, Director of Research and Outreach and a skilled mentor. Today, I received a copy of the publication that Aqsa authored, affirming the quality of her experience. While some students intern in Washington for the lone reason of adding a line to their resumes, this student left with a publication. Not too bad for eight weeks.
Aqsa Mahmud (far left), Jackie Byers (second from right) and other NACo staff.
Filed under: Internships
A good opportunity for anyone seeking a comprehensive summer internship program in Washington.
Scholarship applications are now being accepted for the Summer 2008 Institute on Philanthropy and Voluntary Service, a nonprofit internship and academic program for undergraduate students.
The Institute is ideal for undergraduate student leaders who are engaged in service programs on and off their campuses. All majors and fields of study are welcome. This face-paced Institute offers a combination of professional experience, academic courses and leadership development activities. As part of the Institute experience, students will attend exclusive events and participate in hands-on activities including developing a mission statement, planning service projects and organizing fundraising activities.
INSTITUTE ON PHILANTHROPY AND VOLUNTARY SERVICE
June 7- August 2, 2008
Georgetown University, Washington, DC
www.dcinternships.org/ipvs
Nonprofit Internships- Competitive placements with leading nonprofit organizations
Classes- Up to 9 credit hours from Georgetown University
Housing- Furnished on-campus apartments
Service- Variety of hands-on community projects
Guest Lectures- With Washington’s top nonprofit executives and scholars
Leadership Development- Leadership, mentoring and career building activities
Scholarships- Over half of all students receive full or partial funding
Networking- With hundreds of other top student and nonprofit leaders from around the world
Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until February 25, 2008 with scholarship priority given to those who apply early. Applicants completing their application by the early deadline of November 30, 2007 will receive a 5% discount on their tuition balance as well as priority consideration.
For more information and an online application, please visit the website at www.dcinternships.org/ipvs
If you have questions about the program, please contact Ms. Patty Gentry, Program Coordinator, by phone at 1-800-741-6964 or via email at ipvs@tfas.org.
Filed under: Former Interns
Before being chosen to intern in DC for the summer, I had never actually spent an extended period of time in our nation’s capital. So I still had a ton of questions about the two months I would be in DC. What would I eat for two months? How do I get to Capitol Hill from where I would be living? What would I do when I’m not working? My questions were quickly answered when I arrived. Luckily, as fast-paced of a city DC is, it was easy to fall into the lifestyle of a young professional in a bustling metropolis.
Prior to arriving in DC, I arranged to live in a George Washington University dorm room for my stay in the city. My room actually resembled a suite and was much larger than we know here at UGA. My room had its own kitchen, but since I didn’t pack pots in my suitcases, I resigned to the fact that I would be eating out a lot. My dorm was a 5 minute walk from Georgetown where there were many restaurants and shops, and a 5 minute walk from Safeway Grocery Store. This concept of walking everywhere took a little getting used to. In Savannah, we hop in our SUVs and drive everywhere.
For my internship, I was placed in the office of Congressman John Barrow. My dorm was a fairly long way away from Barrow’s Capitol Hill office. I learned it would be about a 30-45 minute metro ride, depending on how busy the trains were.
This was all that I knew on my first day in DC. The following list is of essential things I learned over the course of two months. My gift to you:
1. If you fly to DC and take a cab from the airport, don’t let the cab driver trick you into paying more money by taking the longest route because he claims the bridge from Arlington county to Washington, DC is “closed.” Apparently, that hardly ever happens.
2. Spend a lot of time in the Georgetown area.
3. Eat at Mie N Yu on M Street at least once.
4. Spend one Friday night in Mr. Smith’s Piano Bar. Its more fun than it sounds.
5. Buy a SmarTrip Card for the Metro, if only for the reason of not looking like a complete tourist.
6. If you end up working for a Representative, make as many trips to the House Supply Store as possible. They play the best music. Dancing is optional.
7. Take a weekend to do some sightseeing: monuments, memorials, museums, The White House, etc.
8. Go to as many receptions as possible. Trust me. Towards my last month in DC, I was averaging about 3 receptions a week.
9. Take advantage of the Happy Hour deals after work for cheap food. (i.e. 10 cents wings, 50 cents tacos.)
10. Make the most of the time when you’re not working, as tired as you may be. DC is an amazing place.
-Jamarri Ivy
