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Galloway, N.J. – Seventeen ������Ƶ students are spending the Spring 2021 semester working in the nation’s capital or virtually from home as part of The Washington Internship program.

The program, operated by The Washington Center, gives ������Ƶ students the opportunity to live, work, and study in the Washington D.C., metropolitan area. Students intern at government agencies and non-profit organizations that match their academic and career interests.  During the pandemic, some students have interned virtually with agencies in the Washington area.

������Ƶ has participated in the program since the mid-1970s, and more than 1,300 students have spent a semester in the nation’s capital working with public and non-profit agencies in fields that coordinate with their academic major.

“������Ƶ has sent more students to the Washington Center’s Internship Program than any college/university in the country,” said Associate Professor of Political Science Michael Rodriguez, who coordinates the internship program. “Faculty and staff actively encourage students to participate and it is a wonderful opportunity. The internship semester is one of the ‘gems’ at ������Ƶ.” 

Here is what some of the Spring 2021 interns said about their experiences so far:

Kristina Schreiber, Old Bridge, Criminal Justice Major, Shared Hope International

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
It provides its students with an abundance of opportunities and advice. They connect you with an internship that correlates with your goals and interests for your major, and they provide you with resources to prepare you for the interviews. They provide housing career readiness programs. To me, this was a perfect opportunity to see what living in the city, commuting, and having experience with an important topic in my major is like. The networking and friendships that you can make here are also great to have for the future.

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
For my internship at Shared Hope International, a non-profit that advocates against sex trafficking of minors, my supervisor has me and two other interns collaborate every day to look for articles relating to both the company and sex trafficking. We attend webinars relating to human trafficking on a broader spectrum. Each intern has an individual project for the semester as well; right now, I am planning to work on social media posts about the misconceptions of sex trafficking. 

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
This experience has taught me much more about sex trafficking than I thought I had known. Because this is a very difficult topic, it is really rewarding yet challenging to listen to victims' accounts of what they had gone through. I feel that this helps me gain insight into the types of victims I may work with in the future and how I can truly help them gain justice. As I look into the common misconceptions and accounts, I have developed a better understanding of what they actually experience.

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
I would recommend the Washington Internship because it has provided me with a great internship that has taught me a lot in a short amount of time. They also provide me with the resources that set me up for success in the city.

Danielle Combs, Berlin, Political Science, National Legal Aid and Defender Association

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
I wanted to do the Washington Internship program because I wanted to be able to build on my networking skills and professional skills all while gaining internship experience. 

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
I am on three different teams within my internship and receive a numerous amount of different projects. I am on the Defender and Legal Services Team (DLS), the Policy Team (Policy), and the Life Long Learning (LLL) Team. On the DLS team, I assist with projects that help to advance the public defender and legal service initiatives on a national level. On the policy team, I have the opportunity to perform lobbying work with individuals who work on Capitol Hill. On the LLL team, I assist the organization with their racial justice initiatives.  

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
An ongoing project that I have been working on called the "Defender Update" has allowed me to learn more about all of the public defender offices across the nation and the work that they are doing. I am compiling this along with a number of other events in order to include them in the defender update.

Would you recommend it to others?  Why?
I would highly recommend the Washington Internship Program to other students because it is an opportunity to build on your professional skills, your networking skills, and an opportunity to gain amazing internship experience in the field of your interests

Marrianne Obispo, Mays Landing, Communication Studies, Ayuda

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
The Washington Internship sounded like a very good idea from the start. It was definitely a no brainer, especially since they allowed us to work virtually from home. I just liked the idea that I’m given the chance to network and learn from people in D.C.

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
At Ayuda, I help my team with entering weekly donations and managing all the data that goes into it. Drafting newsletters and pumping out social media content is also a daily task. As for long-term projects, I assist our director with the Virtual Gala happening in May, and am currently analyzing our social media interactions. Other than that, I assist everyone on my team and even have opportunities to work with people outside of our department. 

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
I learned that just because a company puts out a job description, does not mean you’re stuck doing just that. Some weeks I’m given the chance to put out statements for the organization, at other times I’m asked to reach out to senators and ambassadors. It is definitely important to be flexible with your skills and be open to new opportunities to prove yourself.

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
Yes! Absolutely. Outside of the internship, the program definitely makes an effort to let you network and expand your horizons during your time with them. The classes they offer, especially LEAD teaches you how to transition from being a student to becoming a professional. 

Michael ‘Micah’ Grana, Holmdel, Criminal Justice, Same Day Process

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
I've wanted to do the Washington Internship program ever since I was looking for colleges back in high school. I always saw it as a great opportunity for a second-semester senior to make connections in the workforce. My main goal is to turn my internship into a job, but making connections with people is also really important. 

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
Currently, my work has consisted of serving court documents to agencies around D.C., including the Department of Justice and the Democratic National Committee. I also help out around the office by printing work orders, affidavits, and mailing invoices to clients. 

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
I can be a shy person, and this internship is helping me deal with that. Being in an unfamiliar city and serving court documents to businesses has given me confidence that I haven't had before. I look forward to learning more about the private investigation aspect of the company.

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
I would recommend the Washington Internship to students who want to try something different for a semester or who want to make professional connections. Even with COVID-19 restrictions around, I've still made new friends with fellow interns and we all enjoy visiting the open museums, restaurants, and bars when we have free time. It's a great way for me to end my four years of college and I'm glad that I am doing it.

Emily Alas, Jersey City, Dual Degree Criminal Justice, Offender Aid and Restoration in Arlington, Va. 

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
During my freshman year of ������Ƶ, I was sitting in Professor Mulvihill’s “Introduction to Criminal Justice” class and a representative of The Washington Center came and spoke about the internship opportunities. I immediately knew I wanted to participate in this internship. I really wanted to make sure I could fit in The Washington Internship to the dual degree (bachelor’s and master’s degree) outline and luckily, I could! 

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
I am fully virtual. My work includes speaking to clients (individuals who are released from jail or prison) on a daily basis and help create resumes for them and apply to jobs. Every day, my responsibility is to call these individuals and assist them with job hunting. I find it is crucial to always remain in contact and have phone calls every day, even if all we are talking about is the weather. It not only keeps that communication, but it also really helps the clients. My other responsibilities include creating weekly lists of jobs available in the area for the clients, and other resources such as COVID-19 testing sites, and housing.

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
I am learning how to be more assertive. I am a very outgoing person and in this job I have learned I need to be more serious. There are times when clients will try to shift the conversation to anything other than what we have to do and that is when I need to be more serious and let them know that I am here to help them and not one of their friends. There was this specific moment when a new client I spoke to kept asking where I was.  After a few minutes of the client asking, I said in a stern voice “I’m sorry but what does where I am have anything to do with job applications?” Then the client stopped and understood what we had to talk about. This job has taught me how to separate my personal life and attitude from my work attitude. It was difficult in the beginning because it didn’t feel like me, but then I realized this job is not like anything I have had before, and the clients cannot know personal information about me. The most rewarding part about this job is knowing I am helping an individual. Some days are harder than others; especially when not many clients pick up the phone, but the conversations I do have during the day, always make my day. No matter if we only spoke about the weather, I feel accomplished in that I know I helped someone today, even if it was a short conversation. 

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
Yes. Aside from the actual internship, TWC offers many resources such as information sessions on key components of the workforce. They give you tools that are meant to help you not only while you are in D.C. but tools that you are able to use after the internship is over. 

Maryn Westfall, Manahawkin, Psychology, Offender Aid and Restoration 

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
Ideally, I want to learn more about the different options I have career-wise since my academic program is a bit broad. Also, network and connect with other interns who may have different career goals than I and to also network with professionals in the Criminal Justice field. 

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
Right now at my internship I am working closely with a group of individuals in creating job resumes along with applying to jobs after the resumes are completed. I also attend court sessions each week to note any changes in the lives of the participants involved with OAR.

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
The main thing that I have learned so far is that patience is key when dealing with others beyond yourself. What I mean by this is that my schedule has become somewhat flexible; that I will have to be willing and able to talk to individuals for a long period of time without becoming drained by being on the phone.

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
I would recommend this program to anyone who wants to have a hands-on experience when it comes to the career world while still in college. 

Vitoria Miranda, Union, Criminal Justice, William J Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
I knew that doing an internship was an important step not just for my college career, but for a job after college as well.

What type of work are you doing for your internship?
My official title is a research assistant, but really, I can do whatever my mentors ask of me.

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
I am getting better at my time management and research skills. The challenge really is not having a set deadline but not allowing yourself to procrastinate, which then leads to the reward of having done your work early and having your mentors appreciate what you’re doing.

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
I would recommend it because it is a rewarding experience both career-wise and for your own personal life.

Alexandrea Romeo, Edison, Criminal Justice, Ashoka 

Why did you want to do the Washington Internship Program?
I wanted to have a new experience, get my foot in the door professionally somewhere and to explore the city.

What type of work are you doing for your internship?

At Ashoka, we believe that everyone is a change maker. Working here, I work on their diversity, equity and inclusion team. 

What are you learning from the experience? What are the challenges and rewards?
Honestly, I’m learning real world skills. I’m learning how to be inclusive for all, and how to make everyone feel welcomed. What I learn here I know I can use in the real world.
Due to COVID, we are not in-person, so we have to connect via Zoom and Google teams. I just wish I was in-person to connect more. But I’m still getting the most and making connections with my colleagues. 

Would you recommend The Washington Internship to others?
I would definitely recommend doing The Washington Internship! It is very beneficial, you gain professional skills with working and connecting with many different types of people.

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Diane D’Amico
Director of News and Media Relations
Galloway, N.J. 08205
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