Each semester college students search for internships to gain experience and build their resumes. This month Cabrini is holding a lecture to inform students about internship opportunities. On Thursday, Feb. 24, a representative from The Washington Center (TWC) will speak about their internship programs. The lecture begins at 3:15 p.m. in room 351 in Founder’s Hall.
“Cabrini has had a long history with The Washington Center. Students have been going there since the ‘80s,” Dr. James Hedtke, professor of history and political science, said.
TWC aids students in obtaining internships in all areas of study. According to their website, http://www.twc.edu/internships, internships acquired through TWC include responsibilities such as assisting attorneys during a trial, developing websites and databases, assisting in television and radio production, conducting scientific research, building economic models and summarizing Capitol Hill briefings. In fact, many of the internships include working with government agencies and CNN.
“The Washington Center is the best clearinghouse for internships because they make difficult positions accessible to students,” Hedtke said.
“I was an intern at the office of the attorney general for the District of Columbia in the area of child abuse and neglect. While I was in the office I drafted important documents, such as motions, subpoenas and prepared the attorneys for trial by preparing trial binders for them. I also attended trials, mediations and interviews with them,” Jennifer Bollinger, Cabrini College and TWC aluma, said.
When TWC was founded by William M. Burke over 30 years ago the non-profit organization had four employees.
Currently, the program employs 70 people and it consists of over 40,000 alumni. Unlike other internship students, those who are accepted into the TWC program take classes, perform their internship duties and take part in scheduled activities while living in the District of Columbia for the entire fall, spring or summer semester.
“The internship was a positive influence on me in a big way. It showed me how a big law office operates, how a court room operates and opened me to a whole new world and experience I didn’t know. It showed me what type of law I wanted to specialize in as well as what type of lawyer I wanted to be,” Bollinger said.
TWC offers activities that engage students in social and educational events kayaking on the Potomac River and weekend trips to Atlantic City, N.J.
“There is no environment like the nation’s capitol. Students will be where the heartbeat of America is,” Hedtke said.
The speech will inform students on the application process and the necessary qualifications to be accepted into the program. For example, the speaker will examine the grade point average requirements and the number of credits a student must have completed in their college career upon entering the internship program.
The speaker will review the total cost for the program, which will include information on the application, academic and housing fees. Students will also receive information about the more than 10 scholarships and awards that are given to students each semester.
“I hope students take away from this that there are alternatives to doing a standard internship,” Hedtke said.
The representative will discuss TWC’s study abroad programs. TWC offers students an opportunity to learn and gain career skills while living in either Sydney, Australia or London, England.
“Students will learn a different style of government with the study abroad program,” Hedtke said.
