For more information, contact Cindy Young, (937) 775-3232.
March 4, 1998
FOUR WRIGHT STATE STUDENTS SELECTED
FOR WASHINGTON CENTER INTERNSHIPS
Serving as an intern in Washington, D.C., can give college students the chance to
experience the nation's capital, develop professional skills, meet people from across
the country and the world, land a job after graduation, and, in rare cases, make
the cover of Newsweek.
Four Wright State University students will experience the inner workings of the nation's capital first hand this spring as they intern in Washington as part of The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. And despite some good-natured teasing from professors concerning the life of one former intern, the students are looking forward to the experience.
The four students selected from Wright State are: Staci Sigman, a junior political science major from Crooksville; Angela Simpson, a senior history and art history major from Middletown; Jason Dennison, a senior education major from Batavia, and Shashrina Thomas, a senior organizational communication major from Dayton. They'll be in Washington from March 19 through May 30.
Wright State's Office of Career Services is coordinating the internships with the Washington Center. Scholarships for the students are provided by the Ohio Board of Regents.
The Washington Center is a nonprofit, educational organization providing full-time internships and short-term academic seminars for college students from more than 750 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. Since its founding in 1975, more than 23,000 students have participated in its programs. The Washington Center is the largest full-time internship program in the nation's capital.
Interns in the Washington Center program may choose from hundreds of government agencies, corporations, associations and nonprofit organizations for their internship experience. Dennison was originally to be assigned to a Senate committee, but preferred the Department of Education and was placed there. He will be working with the Presidential Scholars program, where outstanding high school seniors spend a week in Washington.
"I'm going to be designing an itinerary for both parents and students," Dennison says. He hopes to pursue a career in educational administration, and believes his internship "will make me quite a bit more marketable."
Sigman will be assigned to the staff of the powerful House Budget Committee, chaired by Rep. John Kasich of Ohio. She's still considering career options as a political science major, but believes the internship "is a great opportunity to go and see if that's what I want to do."
Simpson's placement is pending, but she says, "I'd like to work with art objects, either curating or doing research. Anything where I can contribute to research and study." Her internship will help her see what the career is like. "I really don't have a full picture of what people do in various museum jobs."
Thomas, who has previously worked in the Dayton office of Rep. Tony Hall, will be reporting to the chief of staff of Rep. Louis Stokes. Her ambition is to be a lobbyist, and she believes her internship "will make a huge difference down the road."
She's already been told about the Washington party circuit. Thomas may be invited to even more receptions, since Rep. Stokes is retiring after the current term.
"This is the first time Wright State has had the opportunity to offer these scholarships," said Debra Wilburn, assistant director of the Office of Career Services at Wright State. Another four students will be selected for the summer quarter. Interns must have at least a 2.5 grade point average, be of sophomore standing or above, complete an application provided by career services, submit letters of recommendation, and write two essays. WSU students interested in applying for an internship during the fall or winter quarters may obtain application materials in the Office of Career Services, 126 Allyn Hall.
"All four of these students were recommended by faculty or staff," Wilburn said. "Anytime you get students who have been recommended by faculty or staff it shows they have been doing excellent work."
The students' departure date has forced them to rearrange final exams and projects for the Winter Quarter, but WSU faculty members have accommodated them.
"I think the faculty recognizes the opportunity and that it is a step above what Wright State can (normally) offer," said Dennison.
Simpson sees only one minor drawback to the program. "We have to wait 10 weeks to get our spring break."
