It can be intimidating for students to transition from education to a career. How to utilize a degree? What options are available? Who is hiring? These are all questions newly-graduated students must answer as they leave college with a fresh new diploma. It is the mission of The Washington Center to answer these questions and more.

Photo via twc.edu.

What is The Washington Center?

The Washington Center is a bridge between higher education and professional life, according to Washington Center representative Mark Summerside.

“What we do is help students translate their passions into a professional setting,” said Summerside.

The program works by matching applicants with internships that not only benefit their professional goals but interest them as well.

“We aren’t going to match you with something you’re not passionate about,” said Summerside at an informational meeting on Oct. 25.

The internships are based in Washington, D.C., but are not all politically oriented. Students interested in economics, philosophy, business and marketing attended the informational meeting along with political science students. The center offers opportunities to intern with Peace Corps, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Special Olympics, the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Senate, and more.

“With D.C. being such a big place, you can find many internships, but they might not be any good,” said Summerside. “It doesn’t benefit our students to answer phones and sort mail all the time. That is why we look at each student and find a personalized match with good, reputable positions.”

Why intern at all?

“Internships are important,” said Summerside, “because they enrich students’ education experience by focusing their goals.” The Washington Center looks at each applicant on a case-by-case basis and finds internships for each individual.

“It’s like test-driving a career,” Summerside explained. “The Washington Center can get you in the door, not just show you the door.”

Interns learn leadership, communication skills, time-management, and industry-specific skills. In addition to hands-on learning through leading projects and making decisions, interns at The Washington Center take evening classes of their choice of dozens of subjects. Applicants are encouraged to work with their advisers to choose a class that works into their four-year plan.

Photo via twc.edu

Summerside also emphasized that while not all internships may be what students expect, they are all successful in some way.

“It’s important to be able to fail,” Summerside said. “Even if you come away from [the internship] thinking, ‘I never want to do this again, this sucks,’ that is still a success.”

“Can you imagine if you hadn’t found that out now and devoted your career to something you hate doing?” Summerside asked, animated. “Even if you only learn what you don’t want to do for a career, that’s still something.”

Summerside encouraged students to be selfish in their application selection process. After all, he pointed out, you will be spending 15 weeks devoting your time and attention to your selected internship.

“Never turn down an internship based on name alone.” Interns often work closely with other programs as well, offering an opportunity to learn about a variety of subjects. Applicants should be specific about their passions, hobbies, goals and skills to aid placement advisers in matching interns to internships.

Advantages of Washington, D.C.

A big part of the experience of The Washington Center is living in Washington, D.C. Interns have the opportunity on weekends to explore national monuments, attend sports games, see the Potomac River, and visit museums, as well as attend special events – often featuring free food.

“Brunch is a huge part of D.C. life,” said Summerside, who interned with The Washington Center when he was a senior at the University of Iowa. “In D.C. you’ll be networking and making connections both personal and professional that will stick well after your plane ride home.”

How to get involved

The liaison to The Washington Center from Drury University is political science professor, Dr. Dan Ponder. If you are interested in applying for The Washington Center or learning more, you can email him at deponder@drury.edu or stop by his office at Burnham 318 during office hours to schedule an appointment.

For more information on The Washington Center, visit www.twc.edu.

Written by Forest Swisher.