Internship
Washington Semester Gives Summer Interns a Jump on the Job Market
Dozens of students from over 25 states arrived at American University in Washington, D.C. this week ready to roll up their sleeves and ramp up their résumés.
"I feel like a kid in a candy store, interning in the WAMU newsroom," said Julia Pepe, University of Richmond. "Washington, D.C. is where the news is made, and the action never stops."
For more than 20 years, students from all majors have flocked to AU's Washington Semester Summer Internship Program to explore their career passions and experience D.C.
Jon Malley, Clemson University, who is interning with Earth Aid Enterprises, said, "I am working on issues & regulation in the trading of carbon emissions. I feel like I am getting in on the ground floor of the next cutting edge industry."
Students gain hands-on experience interning full-time for professional organizations in Washington. This summer's participants will work at 45 organizations across the city, including the Department of Homeland Security, American Enterprise Institute, UBS Financial Services, World Resources Institute, Women in Film and Video, and the Center for Education Reform.
"This program offers students a chance to gain real world experience and networking contacts and possibly act as a springboard directly into their chosen career field," said David Brown, dean of the Washington Semester Program.
Alumni of the program include Rep. Paul Ryan (R – WI), who interned with the Republican Congressional Campaign Committee in 1991, and was elected to Congress at the age of 28. Ryan credits his experiences as an intern to his success on Capitol Hill.
37 colleges and universities are represented by this summer's class, including several from Washington Semester affiliates: Rollins College, Clemson, William and Mary, and Connecticut College.
Students choose from seminar programs such as American politics, justice and law, print and broadcast journalism, international affairs, and economics and international business
