For the first time ever, Waynesburg University students will have the opportunity to further their careers in the nation’s capital through a partnership with the Washington Center Academic Internship Program.
Earlier this month, the university became one of over 600 partners with the Washington internship program.
To be considered for the program, students must be at least 18 years old and enrolled at a college or university. They must be at least in their sophomore year with no fewer than two semesters completed on campus and must be approved by their campus liaison, in Waynesburg’s case, it is Academic Communications Coordinator Sarah Bell, or, if the school doesn’t have a liaison, by a faculty sponsor.
Bell said that because the partnership came about not too long ago, students aren’t yet aware that it’s happening.
“We just signed the agreement,” Bell said. “So, we haven’t actually started promoting it yet… Long story short is that we don’t have students expressing interest yet because students don’t know it exists.”
According to Bell, the partnership with the Washington Center was started late last year when a student expressed interest in the internship. But because Waynesburg didn’t yet have an established connection, students would not have been allowed to participate at the time. After receiving an endorsement from Vice President of Enrollment Shari Payne, a former liaison at a different school, the school moved forward with the partnership.
Students who are accepted for the internship will work full-time Monday through Thursday. They will take a three-hour evening course once a week. Fridays, they will participate in the LEAD Colloquium, where they will interact with peers in small groups. While in the program, students will put together a portfolio that documents their experience.
For Bell, the fact that a lot of students aren’t familiar with Washington D.C., as well as housing benefits and internship benefits, are benefits of applying to the program.
“It’s in D.C., which a lot of students don’t get the opportunity to travel to D.C .and do an internship,” Bell said. “As part of this program, housing is included, so students don’t have to worry about that piece. If students are accepted into the program, they’re guaranteed an internship, and when you’re applying for internships without something like this, you’re not guaranteed a spot in your top three choices.”
Bell said that virtually any academic field has an internship opportunity available. Students can also take on more than one internship if they choose too.
As far as costs and tuition go, the application fee is $60 for students in the United States, and $125 for students enrolled in institutions out of the country. The costs for the program itself as well as the housing varies depending on the time of year, and is roughly between $8,000 and $9,000 for the school year and roughly $7,000 for the summer.
Although the application field is competitive, according to Bell, and Waynesburg doesn’t have a wide national profile, she doesn’t think Waynesburg students will be at a disadvantage because of the size of their school.
“Waynesburg has received national recognition, and it’s a high caliber school and we have excellent students here,” she said. “Because we have established this partnership, we would be considered equally with other partners for the Washington Center. So, really it just comes down to individual student merit and what they submit, or their goals for the program. But I don’t think our students would be at a disadvantage just because they go to Waynesburg.”
Although not everyone is interested in the program gets in, Bell feels that are long as students have the right academic standing— and mentality for the internship—that they will be accepted.
“I think that it’s competitive,” Bell said. “But as long as our students prove that they have the merit and the drive to do it, that they would be accepted.”
More information on the program can be found at www.twc.edu/programs/academic-internship-program.