Annenberg in Washington 2017 Provides College Undergrads With Exciting Intern Experiences
Annenberg in Washington (AIW), a summer internship program for Communication majors, provides students first-hand experience in how communication is used in public service. Students receive a $6,000 stipend to support their living expenses as they participate in internships at government, political, nonprofit, advocacy, media, and private organizations in the nation’s capital. They can then receive course credit by enrolling in the summer or fall internship course (COMM 491).
Interns from Penn Arts and Sciences share their thoughts below:
“I attended the Faith and Freedom Caucus, a gathering of Evangelical political activists from around the country. The experience made me think that maybe the values of Liberals and Conservatives are not as far apart as our politics would suggest. I know from Professor Bruneau's class that our perceptions of rival groups are often faulty, and to see the other side make their case in person really hammered that point home.” — Ben Friedman, C’19, Research, Policy, and Congress Team Intern with the Democratic National Committee
“This internship allows me to experience the digital side of political communications, which fits perfectly within the coursework for my Communication and Public Service (ComPS) concentration. ComPS requires that I really study political persuasion, which is practical knowledge I've utilized frequently throughout this internship.” — Ari Goldfine, C’19, Intern with Mothership Strategies, a progressive digital communications agency
"It's been exciting to bring a global approach to communication. Perhaps the most interesting part is noting the strategic aspects of communication. For our organization, the main reason to externally communicate is to increase donations. Seeing where we put our time and effort has been both rewarding and frustrating - while the work is interesting, it can sometimes feel misapplied when the direct relation to our mission and beneficiaries is not realized." — James Hiebert, C’19, intern on the Communications and Philanthropy Team at Relief International
"Working with the DC Volunteer Lawyer’s Project has been an amazing experience. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being part of such meaningful work and getting hands-on experience pulling legal documents in the courthouse and shadowing during hearings. And my digital marketing internship at the Council on Foreign Relations is teaching me a lot of new skills for programs which I have always wanted to master, like Photoshop and Google AdWords." — Casey Seivright, C’18, intern with both the DC Volunteer Lawyers Project (DCVLP) and the Council on Foreign Relations
Other interns include:
Karissa Hand, C’18, who is a Marketing intern with Emily’s List, has canvassed for Hala Ayala and attended the Congressional Women’s Softball Game.
Ryan Furey, C’19, is interning with the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Emilio Frayre, C’19, is interning with the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy.
Ashley Marcus, C’18, is interning for the Civil Rights Division, Criminal Section, at the Department of Justice. Through her internship, Marcus had the opportunity to attend the DOJ’s Hate Crime Summit, at which Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke.
Sarah Figgatt, C’18, is an intern at PBS.
Erin Farrell, C’19, is an intern at the Pew Research Center.
Click here to read the full story.
