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The Washington Center encourages students from across the globe to challenge their perspectives, develop a strong conscience to work towards higher levels of personal, professional, academic and ethical attainment, and return to their communities with a greater aptitude for leadership and a deeper commitment to citizenship, in order to increase their meaningful contribution to the global, complex, and fast evolving society.

“My internship at The Washington Center was nothing less than transformative. The time I spent there completely altered the direction of my life and put me on the path to a rewarding career . Through the program, I discovered my love for working in education and policy. I met students from all over the world, some of whom became friends for life. I got to live in a big cosmopolitan area, in the midst of where crucial decisions were being made every day."

"Having come from a small town, this was a very exciting change for me. And of course the teachers who shared their knowledge and experience with us were all leaders in their fields. Knowing how fortunate I was to have had this internship while still in school, I want to help other students, still forming their ideas or perhaps already committed, benefit from this kind of access and exposure. It’s why I have stayed involved with The Washington Center and why I so proudly serve on the Board. As an alumna, I’m not alone in my commitment to giving other students the same opportunity. Many of our 50,000 alumni continue to contribute generously to The Washington Center with their time, their donations and future employment opportunities. Six alumni currently sit on the Board. And, like me, each considers it an honor and a civic duty to help build good leaders and citizens out of a large network of dedicated students from around the globe.”

Michelle Asha Cooper, Ph.D. ’94, Washington Center alumna and board member, President, Institute for Higher Education Policy

“As a Washington Center partner, we get a constant infusion of new ideas, new perspectives. We are constantly building new links to new universities, to students from diverse backgrounds.

The Washington Center’s screening process saves us time, money and effort. They send us only the right students. Quality students with the right skill sets. The students from The Washington Center have just the right blend of academic training, motivation and character. The interns we get through our partnership with The Washington Center keep us on our toes! Their energy, their enthusiasm and their dedication to the job at hand are infectious.”

Marie-Claude Lavoie, TWC Internship Supervisor, Regional Technical Officer in Workers’ Health, Pan American Health Organization