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 had the opportunity to hear from TWC staff members about their upcoming semester in Washington, D.C., where they will engage in new experiential educational opportunities including:
- Tailored Internships
- Academic Courses
- Civic Engagement Projects [1]
- Mentoring opportunities from Academic Program Advisors
- City Exploration Activities planned by TWC Alumni in Residence [2]
- Career Services Events [3]
- Programming [4]
- Networking Opportunities with TWC Alumni
Orientation kicked off with Kevin Nunley, TWC's Managing Director, who welcomed spring interns to their new home for the next 15 weeks. In an effort to allow them to become more acquainted with TWC, the ceremony included a video from Fall 2012 Commencement, which helped interns gear up for all the fun activities and memories they themselves will be making this spring.
Interns then heard from Mike Smith, TWC's President, and Kelly Eaton, Chief Academic Officer, who encouraged students to get excited and take advantage of their upcoming transformational experience in D.C.
TWC interns were then formally introduced to their Spring Academic Program Advisors, who will provide both mentorship and leadership opportunities throughout the semester. Spring programs include:
- Advocacy, Service and Arts [5]
- Business and Global Trade [6]
- DC Legal Externship [7]
- Governors [8]
- Hidalgo Training Initiative
- International Affairs [9]
- Law and Criminal Justice [10]
- Media and Communications [11]
- Political Leadership [12]
- Postgraduate Professional Development (PPDP) [13]
- Prudential Foundation Global Citizens [14]
- Science, Technology and Society [15]
Kinnari Sejpal, Manager of Alumni and Annual Giving, discussed TWC's 50,000 alumni worldwide and the opportunities for current interns to take advantage of their new large network, both during their time in D.C. and after. She discussed the following topics:
- Informational Interviews
- Site Visits/Tours
- Resume Reviews
- Networking Events
- Professional Development Workshops and Lunch Series
- Mentorship Opportunities
- Lifelong Connections
Andrea Barron, Senior Program Manager for Civic Engagement, and Jacki Banks, TWC Program Advisor, discussed the Civic Engagement Pillar and the variety of projects that students will have the opportunity to take part in this year. There are 8 organized projects offered this semester including:
- Animal Welfare [16]
- Domestic Violence [17]
- Homelessness Action Group [18]
- Immigrant Rights [19]
- Israeli-Palestinian Peace
- LGBTQA Project [20]
- Local Green Project [21]
- Veterans [22]
Once the Orientation Ceremony was over, spring interns became more acquainted with TWC during an open house held at the Residential Academic Facility, with hosted events such as an Optional Ice Cream Social and a variety of professional workshops.
TWC is so excited for its new group of spring interns and cannot wait to get the new semester started!
[Check out photos of the event on our Flickr channel] [23]
[Read more about TWC Programming Events on our TWC NOW channel] [4]
[Read more about Civic Engagement Projects on our TWC NOW channel] [1]
[Watch the Fall 2012 Commencement video on our YouTube channel] [24]
