During TWC's Inauguration Academic Seminar, faculty leaders play a large part in guiding and mentoring groups of students from all over the country during their experience in Washington, D.C. Ashley Pinney, faculty leader of Elon University's international fellows, reflects on her experience:

Hello everyone! My name is Kwabena Boateng. I’m a senior International Affairs and Chemistry student from Western Kentucky University. This semester I’ll be interning at a non-profit civic agency group called Innovations in Civic Participation (ICP) and, when I’m not busy with work or participating in many activities with the Washington Center, I'll be traveling through D.C. and the surrounding area. Join me as I narrate my next three months in D.C., blemishes and all.

Serendipity

TWC welcomed over 400 new spring interns during an orientation ceremony held at the Blinken Auditorium. The newest group of students represent a total of 164 colleges and universities worldwide, traveling from over 35 U.S. states, including Puerto Rico, and 14 countries including Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Mexico, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Turkey, United Kingdom.

Students from Francis Marion University met with Congressman Tom Rice of South Carolina. After his staff treated the group to pitchers of southern sweet tea, Inauguration academic seminar attendees met the Congressman outside the floor of the House, where he shared career advice and his past professional experience leading up to his current position serving in Congress.

Why were animal lovers from the Humane Society University, a Deputy Police Chief from Alexandria, Virginia, advocates for domestic violence victims, a gay men’s rights activist and a torture survivor from Ethiopia all gathered at TWC the morning of December 18th? They were enjoying a delicious breakfast and celebrating their partnerships with TWC’s Civic Engagement Projects on:

Richard Norton Smith, Presidential Historian, and Scott Farris, Author of Almost President: The Men Who Lost the Race but Changed the Nation, discussed past presidential nominees who lost elections but impacted American politics and history forever.

[View program on C-SPAN]

About the Road to the White House Course

Josh Bolten, Former White House Chief of Staff for George W. Bush, talked about the Bush administration and second terms with C-SPAN's Steve Scully. Through his work, he was able to provide insight on both the challenges of second presidential terms as well as presidential transitions.

[View program on C-SPAN]

John Anderson, Former Representative (R-IL) and Independent Candidate during the 1980 presidential election, provided insight into the 2012 political process. He ran in the Republican primary and after losing to Ronald Reagan, chose to run as an Independent candidate. John Anderson took questions from college students during the session.

[View program on C-SPAN]

About the Road to the White House Course

Geoff Garin, President of Hart Research Associates and an American Pollster, discussed polling efforts prior to the November 6th presidential election and why he anticipated that President Obama would be reelected.

[View program on C-SPAN]

About the Road to the White House Course

12 young and promising Korean students from Seoul National University (SNU) met with leaders in the Korean-American community during the 2012 Global Talent Program's networking reception. Guests included Mr. Soon Koo Yoon, Consul General from the Korean Embassy, who was the featured keynote speaker of the night.