The Washington Center’s spring semester Career Boot Camp took place on February 6, 2012 at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. The keynote speaker was TWC Chief Operating Office, Jennifer Clinton, who offered advice on various aspects of the interview process.

Students also watched a TED Talk by author and motivational speaker Simon Sinek on "How Great Leaders Inspire Action" and were then sent off to participate in two panels of their choice. Panels included:

Starting a brand new internship at The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminar (TWC) is exciting for any new student. Whether that student is traveling domestically or internationally to participate in either a 10-week or 15-week internship, a few things are always guaranteed:

The Washington Center hosted 127 students from more than 22 different universities during the Inside Washington Seminar. Students came from all over the country for two different-themed weeks that provided a comprehensive overview of past presidential elections in addition to insights and observations about this year’s upcoming election.

Week 1: “In Pursuit of the Presidency”

TWC interns from Massachusetts were given the opportunity to meet with Rep. Bill Keating (D-MA) and a member of his legislative staff. The meeting took place in his office at the Cannon House building.

TWC interns from South Carolina were given the opportunity to meet with Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-S.C.) and members of his legislative staff in the Longworth House Office Building. The students who attend Furman University and Coker College were able to speak with Rep. Mulvaney and his staff about various concerns and policy issues concerning their district and state.

Students in The Washington Center’s International Affairs Program, attended a two-hour information session at The World Bank on February 13, 2012, that featured Angelica Silvero, the head of The World Bank Speakers Bureau. Silvero presented facts about low-income countries and discussed what The World Bank is doing to help the countries address issues such as hunger and poor health conditions. Students were able to show their knowledge of the topic by answering multiple-choice questions about countries and populations that The World Bank targets.

Christopher Cooper, the CEO and Chairman of International Investments for Prudential, welcomed the spring 2012 Prudential Global Citizens Program participants and provided professional advice.

Making the Most of Your Time

Mr. Cooper expanded on his own realizations to explain how to make the most of every work experience:

The Pendulum, Elon University's school newspaper, featured the new legal externship program in their March issue. The article focuses on TWC's new partnership with Elon's School of Law, which will now provide their students with more legal externship opportunities in the nation's capital.

[Read the article]

The Washington Center's President, Michael B. Smith, was recently interviewed by American Observer for an article about the increasing number of college students who come to D.C. each summer to complete an internship.

[Read the full article]

TWC interns from Massachusetts had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Niki Tsongas (D-MA) and a member of her legislative staff in the Longworth House Office Building.  The students who attend the University of Massachusetts-Lowell and the University of New Hampshire were able to speak with Rep. Tsongas about various state and national policy issues such as the Dream Act and her stance on the political situation with Iran. Rep. Tsongas discussed how progressive Massachusetts is as a state and her reasons for voting “yes” on the Stopping Online Piracy Act.