As an intern at The Veterans Corporation (TVC), I worked to improve veterans' access to opportunities in entrepreneurial business. On a daily basis, I communicated with staffers on Capitol Hill and monitored the status of TVC's Appropriations bill. I was frequently in touch with relevant House and Senate committees and subcommittees and accompanied the Director of Government Relations and the CEO of my organization when they visited the Hill to update contacts there about our Congressional funding needs. It was a thrill to learn that I helped TVC to secure 1.5 billion dollars in the current fiscal year and also assisted in efforts to increase that amount to 3 billion dollars next year. My responsibilities involved performing research to track members of Congress and state governors who are veterans, creating maps to show geographic areas influenced by our Veteran Business Resource Centers, and producing fact sheets to document veteran-owned businesses and their revenue by state.

While living in Washington, D.C. I had access to beautiful monuments, museums and countless other resources. As part of the academic course I selected at The Washington Center, Press, Politics and Policy, I took trips to see The Kalb Report, a public affairs program recorded at the National Press Club and hosted by scholar/journalist Marvin Kalb. My group watched as influential media figures Dan Rather and Judith Miller were interviewed.

I never could have learned how a real world work environment operates in a classroom back on campus. Throughout my time in Washington I developed professionally, formed friendships with new people and found a home. I love D.C. so much that I intend to return after graduation, but even if you don't plan to stay in the nation's capital The Washington Center offers you a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Because I interned at the Coalition for Government Procurement during the organization's busiest season of the year, I was immediately called upon to make substantial contributions. I was responsible for taking minutes at meetings, contacting government officials, processing invoices and writing email copy, but I spent most of my time planning special events. While I was in Washington the Coalition, a nonprofit association of companies that sell services or products to the federal government, hosted a two-day fall conference. With the support of my colleagues, I ran the event and doubled the expected revenue - there were 750 people in attendance!

Receiving academic credit from my home institution was a huge advantage of The Washington Center. I got to put my education into practice on a daily basis, and I also took an amazing course in D.C. My professor for Global Markets and International Strategy assists foreign countries with their export control regulations, and his career has given him deep insight into the subject matter. Through my program I also got a behind-the-scenes perspective of the nation's capital. Since I have a strong interest in economics, touring the Federal Reserve with my Business and Information Technology group was a highlight.

This learning experience was vastly different from any I've had before and I feel it helped me to discover my potential as a leader. I also grew to appreciate the importance of networking. I developed a personal relationship with one of the Coalition's executive vice presidents, and he invited me to attend a Redskins football game. It was a wonderful opportunity to learn more about the office and spend the day with someone I respect and admire. I know that all of the contacts I've made will be there to help when I begin the job search.