On Jan. 10, nine Hillsdale College students traveled to Washington, D.C., for two days for the Living and Working in D.C. program sponsored by Career Services.
The students had the opportunity to develop valuable networking skills, tour several landmarks in the Capitol, go on two job shadows in a variety of fields, and meet many Hillsdale graduates who currently have careers in D.C.
Director of Career Services Joanna Wisely said, “it was one of the best Capitol Hill tours that we’ve had.”
This year marks the fifth annual trip to Washington and Wisely hopes to see the program expand in terms of number of students and alumni involved.
The students traveled to Hillsdale from their homes and boarded a shuttle to Lansing, where they flew to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. After dropping off their luggage at the hotel, the students listened to Pam Lowe `80, an experienced executive coach, gave a presentation on networking, applying for jobs, résumé preparation, and LinkedIn.
After a quick lunch, the students rushed to their first afternoon job shadows, which included Heritage Foundation, Smithsonian, Family Research Council, and several offices on Capitol Hill. The students received tours of their respective workplace and met with employees.
The students learned to navigate the city’s mass transit system to get to their appointments on time. Freshman Macaela Bennett attended job shadows at The Washington Examiner and the Leadership Institute.
Bennett said that the trip showcased the true value of career services, and that she especially liked touring the city’s monuments and networking with Hillsdale alumni in the D.C. area.
After job-shadowing, the students attended a networking event with D.C. area alumni and went on a nighttime tour of the city’s monuments.
The students spent the next morning shadowing different jobs, then returned to the Kirby Center to hear a panel of alumni speak about D.C. life. The alumni shared their first experiences in D.C. and gave any tips they had for the visiting students. After a quick tour of the Kirby Center, the students were led through a tour of the Capitol Building.
Bennett said she also enjoyed getting to know fellow classmates she did not know previously, as did sophomore Laura Rose.
“It was great getting to know everyone so closely who went on the trip,” Rose said, “and the opportunity to meet recent alumni was fantastic.”
In addition to the D.C. trip, career services also hosts weekend trips to Chicago, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis throughout the year, as well as day trips to Lansing and Detroit.
“The opportunity to job shadow and go to an alumni networking reception really teaches and provides the students with an opportunity to connect with people who care about the college,” Wisely said.