William and Mary students parlay semester internships into D.C. jobs
As the W&M in Washington Program begins its
second year, program administrators have discovered a welcome result of
having William and Mary students living, studying and working in
Washington, D.C. during the school year-namely, that nearly 30 percent
of spring 2007 semester students parlayed their internships into summer
or full-time jobs.
The W&M in Washington Program is an opportunity for students who
want to experience "working" Washington in a structured and supervised
way, tapping the dynamic institutions of the Washington metropolitan
area to provide unparalleled experiential learning opportunities. The
program features an academically rigorous curriculum built around a
semester-by-semester topic, with internships matched to that topic.
Students work up to 35 hours a week, and receive 12 credits from two
four-credit courses and one four-credit internship.
Applications for the spring 2008 semester program, "US National
Security in the Twenty-First Century," will be available on August 31
and are due by 5 p.m. on October 1, 2007.
The fall 2006 semester of the program, themed "The Intersection of Law
and Politics," was taught by Assistant Professor of Government
Christine Nemacheck, while the spring 2007 semester was "Arts in
Washington" under the direction of Anne Rasmussen, Associate Professor
of Ethnomusicology. With students working at the United States Senate,
National Public Radio, the Justice Department, National Geographic, the
American Bar Association, the National Gallery of Art, the Hirshhorn
Museum, and many others-they saw first hand the day-to-day operations
of the nation's premier governmental and cultural institutions.
As a result of their hard work and achievement, four spring students
and one fall student parlayed their internships into summer and even
full-time jobs:
Zack Brisson ‘07, National Geographic: As a
senior, Zack Brisson (Arts in Washington) hoped to find an internship
that would lead to a post-graduate job. He found that very opportunity
with his internship position as an editorial assistant with National
Geographic's Traveler Magazine, where he wrote articles for publication
in the magazine and on the National Geographic Web site. After
completing the W&M in Washington Semester, Brisson was offered a
position as a research specialist with the International Licensing
Group of National Geographic Enterprises.
"Without a doubt, my current position came directly as a result of
my experience as an intern within another division of the Society,"
Brisson said.
Michelle Treseler '07, Center for the Study of the Presidency:
Working for former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Susan Blumenthal,
Michelle Treseler (Law and Politics) tackled one of the most pressing
issues in politics today: U.S. health policy. She assisted in the
development and implementation of health policy programs, and conducted
research on national and global health emerging issues including the
pandemic flu, disease prevention, and the uninsured. She also
co-authored an article comparing the health plans of the presidential
candidates.
After completing her W&M in Washington semester in the fall of
2006, Treseler decided to delay her graduation until December 2007 to
accept a full-time job with The Center for the Study of the Presidency
as a health policy associate. Her range of responsibilities has
increased greatly, and she now manages four interns of her own.
Tommy Gillespie ‘09, National Public Radio: Not
only did Tommy Gillespie (Arts in Washington) beat stiff competition
for an internship with National Public Radio's "All Things Considered,"
but he was on the air within his first week of work. Gillespie's
internship consisted of booking guests, compiling background material
for host interviews, and logging and transcribing audio. He worked on
long term project that followed a New Jersey man who had served 20
years in prison for a crime he did not commit, and reported on a water
shortage in his home state of Kentucky for NPR's Intern Edition. His
reward for his hard work was an offer from NPR to stay on for the
summer to deepen his knowledge of radio journalism.
Amy Konigsburg ‘07, Red Dirt Studios: As an apprentice
to artist Margaret Boozer at Red Dirt Studios, Amy Konigsburg learned
how to get her hands dirty. From cutting metal to shaping clay and
firing kilns, Konigsburg dove in to all the responsibilities that her
internship required. Her hands-on work brought her in contact with
gallery curators and dealers who have become great career contacts and
resources. Konigsburg continued her work with Boozer during the summer
while looking for additional opportunities in the Washington arts scene
for the fall.
"Because of my experience [with W&M in Washington] I am entirely
engaged in the Gateway Arts District community. I know a lot of artists
exhibiting in the area and see familiar faces at openings," Konigsburg
said. "This allows me an ‘in' with the arts scene that without this
internship I would not have . . . at least not yet."
Ryan Powers ‘08, Center for American Progress: Ryan
Powers worked as a research assistant and writer for the progressive
political weblog, Think Progress, which is run by the Center for
American Progress. Powers also helped to produce The Progress Report, a
daily email newsletter about current events and policy initiatives.
After a semester where he published numerous pieces for both the weblog
and the newsletter, Powers accepted a summer position with the Center
for American Progress as well.
For photos of the students, and more of their stories, visit the program Web site at http://www.wm.edu/sites/wmindc/alumni/index.php.
