Saint Xavier University student Zaheya Hasan learns how the Department of Education interacts with Congress
/Name:
Zaheya Hasan
Home Institution:
Saint Xavier University in Chicago, IL
Internship Site:
Spring 2014 intern with the Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs in the Department of Education
What was your main responsibility at your internship?
Attended Congressional hearings, markups, meetings, briefings and events both within and outside the Department on matters of federal education policy interest and wrote reports to summarize those events.
- Assisted staff with preparation for hearings, briefings, meetings, processing casework inquiries, and ongoing Congressional outreach
- Edited Congressional databases, Congressional biographies and legislative education contacts
- Competed presentations on how to apply for grants for congressional staff
- Preformed researched on Pre-School programs, Head Started, Ranking System, and loan services
- Occasionally performed various administrative tasks and other duties as assigned, including Hill runs and helping with phones when necessary
How has your internship helped you?
Assisted me to see how much I can do with my degree. Helped me learn how a federal department works with Congress.
What was the most important thing you gained from your experience in Washington, DC?
You have to go out into the workforce willing to work early and late hours in order to make a difference.
#WIInstagram: Spring 2014 Edition
/Is it already summer? Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday that our Spring 2014 cohort was arriving in the middle of one of the coldest and snowiest winters in recent memory. The time passed quickly, but the students took full advantage of their time in Washington, DC. Check out their experiences in our WIInstagram below:
Dominican University student developed "diplomatic acumen" through internship at USCG-International Affairs Office
/*Photos courtesy of the United State Coast Guard
SUNY Plattsburgh student Michael Pelzer takes initiative as WOLA intern
/Michael Pelzer, a senior International/Latin American Studies and History major from SUNY Plattsburgh, is currently interning in the Washington Office on Latin America as a part of the Regional Securities program. Michael talks about his experience below:
SUNY College at Plattsburgh student Jan Rodriguez plans for international career at Partners for the Americas
/Jan Rodriguez is a Latin American Studies student hailing from Plattsburgh State University. His internship is with a nonprofit called Partners of the Americas. Here, Jan is a Legislative Fellows intern where he is tasked with a wide range of responsibilities. Currently, he is working on a project that will provide him with transferable skills that he can use no matter where his career takes him. His organization will be participating in an international conference with attendees from the business and government sectors. Jan is researching best practices and resources for organizations doing strategic planning. He will compile his research into materials that will be used by his organization's President during a presentation at this international conference.
Cazenovia College student and Dance Place intern Kate Mitchell explores new paths to success in DC
/"Hi everyone! My name is Kate Mitchell and I am a junior at Cazenovia College located in Central New York. My time in D.C. through the Washington Internship Institute is more than halfway over! Time really does fly while you're here. I wanted to share a few of the things that I have learned here in the District-- things that have helped shape me as a young professional and as a person.
- You do not have to be a Law/Political Science major to thrive in D.C. As a Human Services major, I thought I would feel out of place. I was wrong! I am interning at a non-profit dance organization and I absolutely love it. There is a niche for everyone here, no matter what your focus.
- Take every opportunity you can! I have been able to attend various events, ranging from political discussions to art galas. In fact, last night I attended a work event that featured a Hip-Hop group from Iraq. If anything sounds even a tiny bit interesting to you, go do it! You never know what you'll learn from these events-- or who you'll meet!
- The road to success is not straight and narrow. It is so easy to get on a track and stay there because it's easy and reliable. I am learning to apply the chaos theory to my personal goals. Not everything will go as expected and "plans" sometimes fall through. There are many avenues to take to get to your final destination, and you just have to be willing to take a leap of faith and explore them.
I love being here in D.C. I already feel as if I have a deeper understanding of myself and how to get what I want out of life. I am excited to see what the next 2 months bring!"
Gustavus Adolphus student Nick Nigro plans high-level visits and exchanges while interning in US Coast Guard International Affairs office #dcintern
/"I arrive between 8:30 and 9 every morning. I usually start by checking my email as their is inevitably an assignment I've been given between when I left the previous day and when I arrive. If this is the case, I will start into that. If not, I will browse news sites for a little while to see if anything dramatic has occurred that I ought to inform Lt. Cdr. McConnell on (i.e. anything with Russia-U.S. relations). I will then get to work with whatever task I have been working on. Some projects involve me researching and updating our information on different countries while other times I will be working for Mr. Oliver and checking the cost of crazy things such as postage and figuring out formulas to standardize adding the cost of postage into a longer much more complex system I am not involved with. Often I am called into planning meetings as my office is in charge of planning the travel of the Commandant, the head of the Coast Guard. But more often than not, I just spend the day in my cubicle, leisurely working on my projects, taking a lunch break whenever I am drawn away from my computer and leaving when I realize I will mentally not make anymore headway tonight. I then pack up and head home anywhere between 4 and 5."