Making Connections, Making Careers

By Daniel Kieffer

Some people hate the government. Many people want nothing to do with the government. But that is not true for all. Some crave and desire to get down into the deepest darkest cracks in Washington and see the political process up close, and even try to change it. Students at Drury have the opportunity to go to D.C. through a relationship with The Washington Center.

The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars is a nonprofit organization the helps numerous colleges and universities in the United States to provide many internships and other educational opportunities for students. The students who earn these internships are provided challenging jobs to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit.

Andrea Cramer recently had the chance to work for a summer in our nation's capital. Cramer, a Drury junior and advertising and public relations double major, worked from June through August 2008 with the Internal Revenue Service.

While working with the IRS, much to her surprise, Cramer did not do any work with taxes. “I worked on tasks for the Personnel Security division of the IRS,” says Cramer. “Personnel Security was in the process of downsizing so our tasks focused on easing employee transition while providing information and education for each of them. Some of the tasks I completed included planning and scheduling a conference for employees in New Orleans, creating a curriculum, writing and revising standard position descriptions for new hires and creating a company newsletter. Overall, I was fortunate to receive work that was meaningful and challenging.”

Interns have gotten the connotation of being gofers, degrading an educational experience into a disposable messenger and deliverer of coffee and bagels. This was not the case for Cramer.

“I never was asked to get someone coffee or make copies for my superior,” Cramer says. “My site supervisor was dedicated to providing us with a meaningful work experience and taught us many new skills as well as building upon the ones I already possessed.”

Dr. Dan Ponder, associate professor of political science, has been involved in building the relationship between Drury and The Washington Center.

"In the two years I have been doing this, we have never had a person rejected,”says Ponder.

The requirements for applying for a Washington Center internship are a 2.75 GPA and two letters of recommendation. The internships are highly competitive.

Katie Daily, a political science and public relations double major, was able to attend the Democratic National Convention in conjunction with The Washington Center. Daily submitted an essay to The Washington Center as a part of an internship application. She was nominated by Drury President Todd Parnell to go to the convention.

From the convention, Daily was able to make contacts with people in the fields she is interested in and was able to land an internship with the Missouri Democratic Party with Jack Cardetti, the communications director.

“My main responsibility was writing the newsletter that the delegates received every morning at their breakfast,” says Daily, “Each morning, the delegates go to a breakfast where different speakers attend. The newsletter had their schedule, transportation information and different activities for the evening. When I wasn't working on the newsletter, I worked closely with the local media from Missouri to make sure they were okay as far as speaking with the delegates and other representatives from Missouri. The convention is really organized chaos; I did everything.”

After this experience, Daily has a very positive outlook on this job field: “I have more of a desire to work in politics. Actually, after this convention I've decided to run as a national delegate for the next presidential election.”

Daily plans to graduate in spring 2010. After graduation she plans to attend law school and practice for a while, be an aide to a politician and eventually run for public office.

After Drury, Cramer does not plan to go back to work for the government immediately, although she sees it as a viable option after her positive experience with the IRS. “As of now, I am seeking a career in the nonprofit sector. Perhaps I have the Global Studies curriculum to thank, but I want to find a career that makes an impact on the world - but most of all, I want a career that will make a difference.”

“Both students (Cramer and Daily) were outstanding representatives of Drury,” Ponder says. “Andrea worked with the IRS and I got absolutely rave reviews about her job and academic performance. Katie was a go-getter in Denver and as a consequence, got the most out of her experience, including being in the venue for Obama's acceptance speech.”

All students are encouraged to apply for these internships. “Students applying for a TWC internship should be aware of the time commitment,” says Cramer. “I'd most likely tell them ‘get ready for a busy summer!' Also, D.C. is a beautiful, but most of all it's a great place to make connections and network with potential employers.”

“The best way to do well in TWC is to be proactive,” Daily says. “Know what you want to do while you're there and start networking and contacting people in the area you're interested in. That way, when you arrive you're on the ball and already have a good idea of what goals you'd like to accomplish.”

Interested students are encouraged to contact Dr. Ponder at (417) 873-7394 or by e-mail at deponder@drury.edu.