The Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington program will hold an interest session tonight at 7 p.m. in the Community Partnership House.
Coordinated by the Office of Active Citizenship and Service, the VIEW program provides students with the opportunity to complete eight-week public service internships in Washington, D.C. in a variety of arenas including government and politics, arts and media, education and education policy, and social justice and issue advocacy.
Applications for the 2007 program are already out. The priority application deadline is Nov. 17, and the final application deadline is Dec. 1.
Senior Amy Kaufman, who participated in the program last summer and interned in a Tennessee senator’s office, said the internship afforded her many extraordinary opportunities.
“The Hill interns had the opportunity to attend a lecture series that included speakers like Chief Justice John Roberts, Colin Powell and a variety of senators,” she said. “I had my usual routine that included riding the underground train from the Senate buildings to the Capitol with John McCain, walking the halls with Senator Kennedy and Senator Lott nearly every day, and being in the Senate Chamber during really important votes that took place this summer.”
Senior Meredith Toole, who interned at the Vanderbilt University Office of Federal Relations, said her job gave her the opportunity to participate in the public relations aspect of a private university operating in the capital city.
“I learned how to work in a professional setting and adapt to various tasks at the direction of my bosses,” she said. “I also learned a lot about how things work in Washington.”
VIEW also requires participants to contribute 10 to 20 hours of service a month to organizations such as domestic violence shelters, GLBT centers or soup kitchens.
“Some of the girls in the program organized a group of us to cook lunch at the Ronald McDonald House one Saturday afternoon,” Kaufman said. “It was great to be able to contribute in this small way to the Washington, D.C. community.”
All VIEW participants also have access to a variety of networking opportunities with Vanderbilt alumni and internship supervisors, Toole said.
“VIEW incorporates seminars with various leaders in Washington which gives you opportunities to come into contact with influential leaders and learn about things outside of your internship,” Toole said. “The seminars gave me opportunities that I wouldn't have had as an intern on my own in Washington.”
More information about the VIEW program can be found online at www.vanderbilt.edu/oacs.
