Danny Bolam, TWC intern from Fitchburg State University, met with Rep. Peter Welch and a member of his legislative staff.  Danny spoke with Rep. Welch about various state and national issues such as Hurricane Irene, the Homestar Bill and withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

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:

Andrew Stumbo, a TWC intern from the University of Iowa, was given the opportunity to meet U.S. Senator, Tom Harkin (D-IA) and his legislative staff. The meeting took place at Senator Harkin’s weekly constituents breakfast in the Russell Senate Office Building.

Andrew was given the opportunity to speak with Senator Harkin and members of his staff about various concerns and policy issues concerning the future of Obama’s Health Care Plan and the possible ruling of it’s constitutionality by the U.S. Supreme Court.

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.

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.

Washington Center interns from Virginia met with Rep. Frank Wolf’s legislative staff at the Cannon House Office Building.  The students, who attend McDaniel College and Dickinson College, were able to speak with the staffer about his role in Rep. Wolf’s office and the public policy process. In addition to this visit, students sat in on the Representative's subcommittee hearing on Commerce, Justice and Science.

Students who participated in the meeting included

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.

TWC interns from Iowa had the opportunity to meet with Rep. Dave Loebsack (D-IA) and a member of his legislative staff in the Longworth House Office Building.  The students were able to speak about various state and national concerns in addition to policy issues such as the jobs act, affordable health care act, veterans affairs and the GI Bill. The experience expanded the student’s knowledge on several issues that affect their home state of Iowa, such as bipartisan support of the Jobs Act bill and other concerns such as homelessness affected a large number of veterans in Iowa.

TWC interns from Tennessee met with the Honorable Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, two U.S. Senators from Tennessee, at their weekly Constituents breakfast.

The TWC students, who attend Furman University, Austin Peay State University and Tennessee Technological University, spoke with the Senator’s staff members about various concerns and policy issues concerning Tennessee’s recent No Child Left Behind waiver policies. The students learned more about the Senators positions on the budget, taxes and education.