Aida Ramos, Summer 2006
LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens)

The most rewarding experience for me was the chance to attend the LULAC National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The opportunities presented at the convention were endless. The connectivity and networking is incredible at LULAC. I got to coordinate workshops with LULAC’s federal relations director which led to incredible connections and networking in almost every department in the federal government. At the convention I met high governmental officials, CEO’s, and political leaders. By just being introduced as “Aida Ramos, the intern from Texas A&M,” opened dialogue with important individuals and ended with an exchange of business cards and possibly opportunities for future employment.

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Britt Carter, Fall 2005, The White House (Britt now works for the Association of Former Students in College Station)

I know the life of an intern in Washington DC is different for everyone, and while some experiences are better than others, an internship does not end without having a life changing effect.

Thanks to the PPIP program and its supporters, I was able to spend a few months in the Office of Public Liaison of the White House. As described on the White House web site, the Office of Public Liaison, “promotes Presidential priorities through outreach to concerned constituencies and public interest groups. This includes planning White House briefings, meetings, and large events with the President, Vice President, and other White House staff.” My internship activities ranged from the day-to-day tasks of answering phones to helping plan Presidential events.

I came in at a monumental time in history. Hurricane Katrina had just hit and our office was flooded with questions from the public as well as calls from people offering their support. The majority of my time the first month here dealt with hurricane relief efforts. With that came the National Day of Prayer for Katrina and service projects to help displaced victims.

Because of the many different groups our office reached out to, there was always a briefing taking place that we were able to help with whether that be making a few phone calls, or escorting guests when they arrived. Our office was primarily responsible for organizing the Turkey Pardoning, Veterans Day activities, NEA Awards, and the Rosa Parks bill-signing to name a few.

I was able to go on East and West Wing tours and see the President arrive and depart on Marine One. During my time here, I helped the First Lady’s Office with the Helping America’s Youth Conference and joined other interns in a Habitat for Humanity service project. What was so exciting was walking to work everyday knowing that I had the opportunity to meet someone new. I met Cabinet members and Andy Card. I worked for Karl Rove and saw Alito walking the halls. Secretary Rice stepped out of her motorcade a few feet in front of me one day, and I even had the opportunity to speak with the President.

The history of Washington DC and the White House awed me daily. I walked the halls of past Presidents. I sat in chairs where Nixon made decisions concerning our nation. I ate in the same rooms where Kennedy entertained White House guests. Although every part of the nation is equally as important, somehow DC served and continues to serve as a constant reminder of how proud I am to be an American and how much I have to be thankful for!

Without reservation, I am a strong advocate of interning in DC! Quickly students will learn the ins and outs of how the nation runs and what must be done to secure a strong future. Either one realizes that politics is their passion or that changing the face of it is something they must do if they are ever to be a part of the process. Many will say politics is for the crooked. That may be so. But, if the good don’t get and stay involved, it will never change. To those thinking of applying for PPIP, I say, “hold nothing back!” Leaders must step into the unknown, being passionate for a cause. With that passion, one needs an avenue, and PPIP provides just that!

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Carrie Marsh, Spring 2006, Higher Education Commission, U.S. Department of Education
(Carrie is currently a confidential assistant to the Secretary of Education in Washington)

I like to call the underground ten-minute walk from my building to the metro station "surreal" considering where I grew up. Originally from Miami, Florida, I moved to a small town called Argyle, Texas at the age of ten. Now eleven years later it seems all that hard work has paid off as I emerge from the metro ride in front of the Capitol and enter the nearby building: the Department of Education. After going through security I head up to the fifth floor.

No day is the same, but EVERY day is INCREDIBLE. The internship is what you make of it, and I certainly have taken the liberty to make my experience the most-packed and most-lucrative experience of my life-particularly for my future.

Update: In other exciting news, per the Secretary's request, I am THE assistant that travels EVERYWHERE with her. So, I have been pretty jet-lagged lately, to say the least!! But I don't mind at all. I feel as though I am the luckiest girl around because I am getting to learn first-hand from one of the greatest women I have ever known. Secretary Spellings is a wonderful mom, political leader, friend, and teacher, and it is amazing to work one-on-one with her on a daily basis. She has already taught me so much about professionalism, maturity, confidence, resilience, and humility that I can only look forward to the months and years ahead.

What I would love to advocate to everyone who has ever wanted to be in a position to learn from the caliber of leaders that are in DC is that PPlP REALLY was the tool that got me to where I am today. I know that PPlP provided the means and the opportunity for me to come to DC in the first place and--consequently--to end up in the place where I am today: as the personal assistant to a Cabinet Secretary.

All that to say, "Thank you!" Thank you for the opportunity to live and work in such a phenomenal city, in such an incredible internship (Higher Ed Commission), with such amazing people, and toward such an ambitious goal. I hope everyone that has the chance will pursue an opportunity as worthwhile as PPlP has been for me.

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Whitney N. Rawlinson
US State Department, Fall 2004
Major: English & Political Science
(Whitney is currently a law clerk in Houston)

Free of presumption: that was how approached my upcoming internship from the perspective of an eager, unassuming student last November. It seems bizarre that I made the decision to dedicate an entire semester to the pursuit of a professional experience in Washington; I had so little idea about what I should expect from one of the most remarkable cities in the world.

I love my job. There are few other motivating factors that would warrant 4:30 a.m. remaining an acceptable hour to crawl out of bed on Mondays and Tuesdays (or 9:00 p.m to leave the office on Wednesdays, 'Thursdays, and Fridays) for a whole semester. I have thoroughly enjoyed my in-office exposure to the operations of State and look forward to applying what I have learned during my stay in the Department toward all my other endeavors. But the job is only half of what I find irresistible about Washington, D.C. It is a whole new world out here.

There is no limit to what can be done or seen in this place. Most tourists visit the mall and monuments to acquire a sense of our nation's noble history, and our federal buildings represent the pride of a nation that emerged as a collection of colonial upstarts and established itself as a world leader of strength and influence. It is so easy to overlook why these things are important: the rewards of our founding fathers' efforts are to be found in the expeditionary freedoms offered by the city itself. If there is any place on earth where the world is truly just outside your doorstep, D.C. is it.

I have ventured into a crowded townhouse-turned-bookstore near Eastern Market with a friend to scour dozens of looming, ceiling-high stacks of yellowing bound treasures; my current Metro entertainment on the commute to and from work is a tattered, well-loved copy of Ayn Rand's 1957 Atlas Shrugged. A quiet, authentic Ethiopian restaurant on the other side of town has enjoyed the unfailing patronization of myself and anyone I can convince to try their remarkable cuisine.

I stood for half an hour on a rainy Friday night in August under the cover of a corporate office building entrance, watching young couples on romantic dates walk hand in hand through the downpour, strolling beneath umbrellas past a lone trumpet player serenading from the sidewalk. On Saturday nights, a jazzy hip-hop dance troupe brings their portable stereo to the center of Dupont Circle for an impromptu performance, and an awed audience never fails to cheer them on and drop donations into an upturned hat. My experiences outside of my internship have proven invaluable to me. They cannot be replicated, they cannot be reproduced. These memories will follow me for a lifetime, nestled deep in my heart.

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John Crawford, Summer 2006
Dept. of Commerce, European division

All to often it is easy to get caught up in the flow of everyday work life, which does not allow you to stop and realize what you are doing and where you are. This city is full of people who are constantly in a rush and seem to never slow down and appreciate life in our nation’s capitol. For instance, I something have to slow down and gaze at the Washington Monument that is one block from where I work and realize how fortunate I am to have the momentous opportunity that I have this summer.

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Janiece Crenwelge
Secretary's Office, U.S. Dept. of Education

Professionally and socially, my internship has been an all-around fantastic experience, and I expect it to impact my life far beyond this summer.

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Olivia Gutierrez, Summer 2006
USDA Rural Development

There is an incredible amount of diversity and passion here. Everyone in D.C. has passion, has a cause, a purpose in life. If you arrive without either of those things it will quickly rub off on you. If you’re still looking for your passion and purpose you will more than likely find it in D.C.

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Shelly Spacek, Summer 2006 PPIP
Dept. of Justice

This may seem like it is a lot but there is one thing that is sure in this office, it is noticed, appreciated, and acknowledged. There is no better feeling than knowing you poured your heart and soul into things and having people recognize that. The best feeling in the end was when the people in my office began to feel like my colleagues instead of my superiors, even though they still might have had that role. There is so much real world experience I have been able to gain from this internship and I know that I have only come out the better for it.