Q&A with Alicia Dutkiewicz, Fall 2016 Intern at Washington, DC Economic Partnership and Marketing Major at Saint Xavier University

Where did you intern and what were some of your favorite projects?

I interned at the Washington DC Economic Partnership. I loved being responsible for social media content and writing and researching other marketing informational material. I also enjoyed participating in event planning, such as for their Annual Meeting + ECON Showcase, which drew hundreds and hundreds of DC's finest together.

What did you learn in your classes?

Though the main draw of this program for me was getting to set foot outside of the classroom and work in the "real world", I really enjoyed the time I spent learning and interacting with my peers in the Inside Washington core course and the Internship Seminar course once a week. In both I got exposed to many different opinions and viewpoints and discussing different issues really allowed me to better formulate and articulate my own ideas.

What did you do in your free time and what experiences would you recommend for future DC interns?

The real question is what didn't I do in my free time? I made it my goal to explore every inch of DC that I possibly could and I am proud to say that I checked off almost every single museum, event, and activity on my list. My best recommendation for future WII interns would be to research the city beforehand and, while here, try not to waste any of your free time that could be spent sight-seeing. Before coming to DC, I read travel books, studied the metro map from the apartments to my place of work, researched cool and unique things to do, and more. Granted, I went a bit overboard with it but looking back, it paid off and I don't regret a thing. I feel as if I really saw and learned all I could about the city and it was the best experience of my life.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with us or future interns?

I'd say just keeping an open mind to anything is the best way to go with being in this program. Right from the application process until my very last day in DC I made sure to try new things and gain as many new experiences as possible. Coming into the program, I didn't know if I'd like my internship, my roommates, or even the city itself but by not setting any expectations and not being close-minded, I did some of my best work at a really cool job, I made friends from around the world, and I absolutely fell in love with DC and everything it has to offer.