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There is now a CONTENT FREEZE for Mercury while we switch to a new platform. It began on Friday, March 10 at 6pm and will end on Wednesday, March 15 at noon. No new content can be created during this time, but all material in the system as of the beginning of the freeze will be migrated to the new platform, including users and groups. Functionally the new site is identical to the old one. webteam@gatech.edu
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Atlanta, GA | Posted: June 21, 2013
Dan Treadaway, Institute Communications
Georgia Tech students are increasingly attracted to federal government careers, and a fledgling campus program is seeking permanent funding that will ensure the availability of vital internships for interested and motivated students for decades to come.
As part of the D.C. Internship Program, students receive a stipend and mentorship from Georgia Tech Government Relations and Professional Practice staff. Once selected, students are required to secure a federal government position (with a member of Congress, a congressional committee, or an executive branch office) that is aligned with their interests and professional aspirations. Interns have held positions in the U.S. Department of Justice-Law and Policy Section, the Office of the Chief Medical Officer-Department of Health and Human Services, and the offices of Congressman David Scott (D-Ga.) and Senator Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.), among others.
The D.C. Internship Program is open to both undergraduate and graduate students of all majors, and is eligible for course credit. During the course of the internship, students work full-time in offices in and around Washington, D.C., for approximately 10 weeks during summer term or 16 weeks during the fall or spring semesters. To earn course credit, interns are also required to complete weekly journals and must be available to share their experiences with other Georgia Tech students once they return to campus.
Each year, five students are selected to receive a $5,000 stipend for summer, and two students are selected to receive a $7,500 stipend for the fall or spring semesters. The stipends cover the cost of expenses (housing, transportation, and living expenses) for students serving in a full-time capacity as interns in Washington, D.C.
To inquire about making an expendable or endowment gift in support of the D.C. Internship Program, contact Associate Vice President for Development Philip D. Spessard at 404.385.1418 or phil.spessard@dev.gatech.edu. For more information about the D.C. Internship Program, visit www.gov.gatech.edu/federal/DCinternship.html or contact Fatimot O. Ladipo in Tech’s Office of Government and Community Relations at 404.385.0017 or fatimot@gatech.edu.
Summary Sentence:
Georgia Tech's D.C. interns share experiences from their time in Washington.
Full Summary:
No summary paragraph submitted.
Graham Goldberg
D.C. Intern Gaelle BelhseineThe value of the D.C. Internship Program is best demonstrated by the experiences of the students who have participated. Two prime examples of this value are Gaelle Belhseine, IAML 2013, and Graham Goldberg, BA 2014, PUBP 2014.
During her summer term in Washington, Belhseine worked with the Committee on Education and the Workforce in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“During my time there, I worked closely with the committee staff and legislative assistants,” she said. “I conducted research on topics like healthcare, labor, and education on a daily basis to help prepare for committee hearings and briefings. After conducting research, I was responsible for briefing the staff and legislative assistants on my research. My position with the committee taught me a great number of skills that I was able to take with me to use in school and in other career endeavors. These skills included how to work with strict deadlines, work with minimal supervision, excel in a fast-paced environment, think on my feet, and respect the confidentiality of documents that I came across on a daily basis.”
Belhseine said her work as an intern sparked an interest in education and education policy, a career and passion she is pursuing since her graduation this May.
While Belhseine worked with a congressional committee, Goldberg worked in the office of a House member, Representative David Scott, a Democrat representing Georgia’s 13th congressional district.
During the course of his internship, Goldberg attended briefings and committee hearings on behalf of staff members and wrote summaries of the meetings, wrote letters responding to constituent concerns and questions, led tours of the U.S. Capitol building for the congressman’s constituents, and greeted constituents and guests at the congressman’s office.
“While in Congressman Scott’s office, I learned how a congressional office operates and was exposed to many events and processes that one can only witness while working on Capitol Hill—certainly things that cannot be learned from a textbook,” said Goldberg. “Interning for a summer on Capitol Hill (and in Washington, for that matter) certainly helped me build a network that can be utilized if I want to work in D.C. post-graduation. I learned how much I enjoyed working in public service, which I think has certainly influenced what jobs I will be looking for as I near the end of my time at Tech.”
