The value of the D.C. Internship Program is best demonstrated by the experiences of the students who have participated. Two prime examples of this value are Gaelle Belhseine, IAML 2013, and Graham Goldberg, BA 2014, PUBP 2014.

During her summer term in Washington, Belhseine worked with the Committee on  Education and the Workforce in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“During my time there, I worked closely with the committee staff and legislative assistants,” she said. “I conducted research on topics like healthcare, labor, and education on a daily basis to help prepare for committee hearings and briefings. After conducting research, I was responsible for briefing the staff and legislative assistants on my research. My position with the committee taught me a great number of skills that I was able to take with me to use in school and in other career endeavors. These skills included how to work with strict deadlines, work with minimal supervision, excel in a fast-paced environment, think on my feet, and respect the confidentiality of documents that I came across on a daily basis.”

Belhseine said her work as an intern sparked an interest in education and education policy, a career and passion she is pursuing since her graduation this May.

While Belhseine worked with a congressional committee, Goldberg worked in the office of a House member, Representative David Scott, a Democrat representing Georgia’s 13th congressional district.

During the course of his internship, Goldberg attended briefings and committee hearings on behalf of staff members and wrote summaries of the meetings, wrote letters responding to constituent concerns and questions, led tours of the U.S. Capitol building for the congressman’s constituents, and greeted constituents and guests at the congressman’s office.

“While in Congressman Scott’s office, I learned how a congressional office operates and was exposed to many events and processes that one can only witness while working on Capitol Hill—certainly things that cannot be learned from a textbook,” said Goldberg. “Interning for a summer on Capitol Hill (and in Washington, for that matter) certainly helped me build a network that can be utilized if I want to work in D.C. post-graduation. I learned how much I enjoyed working in public service, which I think has certainly influenced what jobs I will be looking for as I near the end of my time at Tech.”