Before I arrived in Washington, D.C., I was entirely confident that the experience would be positive. But I never anticipated the lasting impression those 10 days would leave on my Harvard classmates and I. To be sure, the seminar motivated some to seriously consider a run for office, while it also had quite the opposite effect on others.  For me it served to reaffirm that I am indeed on the correct path towards fulfilling my academic and career aspirations.

Reaffirming My Chosen Career Path

I always had a penchant for politics, but I wasn’t always interested in getting directly involved. Friendly debates, engaging with the media, and showing up on Election Day were enough.  My undergraduate courses were spread pretty evenly between English literature, American studies, and architecture.  People and their environment were what interested me.

My Road to the DNC and Inauguration

Over the course of a month, over 70 different media outlets covered, wrote stories and turned the attention of their online readers to TWC's Campaign 2012 Academic Seminar.

The Democrats kicked off the convention with an event centered around the culture, tradition and community of Charlotte, hyped by every speaker in the previous week. The high expectations were exceeded as CarolinaFest proved to be a true celebration of the Carolinas. Spectators were treated to a variety of music, southern cuisine and free events which the rain could not even damper. It was the perfect way to begin the fieldwork placements of the over 110 students who had arrived to the up and coming city just a week before.

If only by virtue of their rarity, the academic seminars hosted by The Washington Center (TWC) are a unique experience.  But my time in Charlotte was more than a confluence of fortunate timing.  It is an experience of enrichment and inspiration that will come to define my academic career at Bridgewater State University.

When 108 students from around the country arrived to The Blake Hotel on Sunday, August 26th, they really had no idea what to expect from their first week in Charlotte. Little did they know, each attendee would be in for a jam-packed week of programming, receptions and meetings with major political figures who helped shape Charlotte into the up and coming city that it is today.

Programming Speakers

DNC academic seminar participants started their day with a V.I.P. tour of the Time Warner Cable Arena in Uptown Charlotte! During the tour, students received an exclusive first look of the convention venue before the rest of the public and even before most delegates and politicians attending next week!

The fourth day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) academic seminar was filled with notable speakers, a reception and a renowned panel of North Carolina figureheads and major political power players.

The day began with programming at The Blake Hotel in Charlotte, which included speakers such as Tim Funk, Politics Reporter for the Charlotte Observer, and Israel Balderas, News Anchor for Fox TV Charlotte.

The threat of Hurricane Isaac could not damper the spirits of the 138 students attending the Republican National Convention Academic Seminar. The students, who travelled from over 60 institutions from across the country to Tampa, Florida, were treated to a brilliant and insightful week of speakers, panels and programming. It was not all work and no play as these students had the opportunity to explore Ybor City, attend a variety of receptions and had the opportunity to know each other on a more personal level during their small group sessions.