For more information, contact Cindy Young, (937) 775-3232.

June 12, 1998

WSU STUDENTS MAKE THE MOST OF
WASHINGTON, D.C., INTERNSHIPS

While one former Washington, D.C., college intern is now trying to fend off a special prosecutor, the large majority use their weeks in the nation's capital to gain job experience and make contacts for future employment. Three Wright State students who recently completed internships through the Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars will have the opportunity to gain additional experience in Washington.

Shashrina Thomas, an organizational communication major from Dayton who will participate in the university's commencement ceremonies on June 13, will return to Washington in August as a full-time employee in the office of Rep. Louis Stokes (D-Ohio). Staci Sigman, a junior political science major from Crooksville, Ohio, has been asked to stay for the summer in the office of the House Budget Committee, chaired by Rep. John Kasich (R-Ohio). Jason Dennison, a senior education major from Batavia, Ohio, has agreed to remain for the summer with the U.S. Department of Education.

All the WSU students, particularly Thomas, experienced the benefits of networking. The Washington Center program combines a full-time job with additional lectures and classes. Thomas' duties included sitting in on congressional hearings, recording testimony and preparing information to be used by Stokes. Student interns also had the opportunity to meet and mingle with government and business leaders. Thomas says she was always willing to attend an after-work reception as a representative of Stokes' office.

"We had to really sell ourselves (and) get out there and get to know people," Thomas says. "The pace in Washington is work, work, work, network, network, network."

Although Thomas was the only undergraduate student in Stokes' office, she found that co-workers and others she met were happy to give her help and advice.

"If you are eager and anxious to learn, they're willing to assist you," Thomas says. "I didn't have any problem getting advice from anyone."

Whenever Thomas met someone, she didn't beat around the bush. She told them she was looking for a job. Upon meeting George Curry, chief editor for Emerge magazine, Thomas asked for an appointment to see him. Though somewhat taken aback at first, Curry did make time in his crowded schedule to see her and show her around the magazine and Black Entertainment Television (BET).

Thomas believes her Washington experience, while challenging, helped her develop academically, professionally and personally.

"The pace was very, very fast, and I had to catch on and pay attention," she says. "I had to be at my best every day, 24 hours a day."

Thomas says she's always wanted to work in government, and adds that her internship helped her understand the process much better. She encourages other students, regardless of major, to spend some time during their college careers in Washington.

"I think every college student should receive some type of internship on Capitol Hill," Thomas believes. "Go in willing to learn everything."

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