Every semester, students who participate in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program take classes while working all over Washington, D.C. They gain experience in fields that interest them and learn from the best. We asked four WHIP students about their internships.
Alex Miller
Where are you interning this semester?
I’m interning at the Heritage Foundation, in the Center for International Trade and Economics Department. I appreciate that even though we’re interns, we’re treated like research assistants.
Why did you apply for an internship at Heritage?
I went after Heritage and it was my first, last, and final choice. I was always interested in Heritage I thought it would be a phenomenal stepping stone for other internships and a career. It was also the most appropriate and the most applicable for me because it really aligns with what I believe in, which is namely the free market, individual freedom, and limited government, which we learn about at Hillsdale and learn to be true outside campus. So Heritage was really the best for me in that respect, [its appreciation for] traditional conservative values.
What does your internship involve?
I assist with the collection and interpretation of data to publish Heritage’s annual Index of Economic Freedom and contributing research and authorship to other Heritage publications. I also write op-eds that are published in the Daily Signal. We work with our supervisors in the departments that we chose. One of them was published in Newsweek. We have opportunities not only to write for the Daily Signal, but our articles are also picked up by more recognizable institutions and outlets.
What’s a highlight of your experience so far?
The 2018 Index of Economic Freedom, which is our primary publication, was released the 2nd of February, which was huge. Having the ability to be there at that time was really cool. We had nine members of English parliaments that visited last week, and even as an intern, I was able to visit that. The opportunity to meet with high-profile people on the daily is a highlight. They have us wear a suit and tie because going up eight floors on the elevator, you never know who you’re going to run into.
Christian Yiu
Where are you interning?
I’m interning at Pinkston Group, a public relations firm. I’m on a team that focuses on education, corporate interest, and health care.
What does your day-to-day work involve?
A lot of it consists of sending out emails, talking to our clients, reaching out to different media groups and pitching stories, getting interviews, op-eds, etc. for our clients. Essentially my work is what employees would do, too. I like it a lot.
Why did you apply for that internship?
I just wanted to work at a consulting company that was doing PR or creative design, and Pinkston was in connection with Hillsdale. I thought they did good work and was impressed by their company culture.
Any highlights from your experience so far?
Pinkston’s almost like a family. One employee had a wedding, and Pinkston paid for the whole group to go out to lunch to celebrate. When it’s someone’s birthday, we all go out for lunch. It’s a really neat community; everyone’s friendly. Most of the time everyone’s encouraging one another and being chill and joking around. But it’s very serious, too. We do a lot of heavy work.
Have you learned anything new so far?
I’ve learned so much – writing pitches, how to talk to reporters, how to persuade reporters – a lot about leadership, how to approach an interview. I would recommend anyone to Pinkston.
Kaitlin Makuski
Where are you interning?
I’m interning at the Susan B. Anthony List in their development and government affairs departments.
Why did you want to intern there?
I’m newer to the pro-life movement and was really excited to get to see it at the federal level. I’ve seen the grassroots of students for life and those types of organizations so seeing it at a federal level was very exciting and something I was very interested in.
What is your work like day to day?
Every day is different. It depends on whether key legislation is being passed. Right now I work a lot with our campaign coordinator, looking at different candidates and making candidate profiles. I’m making sure the bills we’re tracking aren’t up for any kind of vote or discussion or debate. And I do a lot of thank you cards and calls to donors in development, and donor profiles as well.
What’s a highlight of your experience so far?
I think the highlight of my experience was when the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act was being voted on in the Senate, and the Susan B. Anthony List government affairs team was invited to the Senate gallery to watch.
Tessa Nardozza
Where are you interning?
I am a Political Digital Marketing Intern at IMGE, a full-service digital firm in Alexandria, Va.
Why did you choose to intern at IMGE?
I chose IMGE because they’re a growing company at the cutting edge of digital Republican politics. I wanted to learn from the best, and the people here are incredibly experienced and have a history of winning numerous political races. Also, they have office dogs and catered lunches!
What’s something you’ve learned so far while working at IMGE?
Since I started, I’ve learned the basics of email marketing, social media management, website design, copywriting, copyediting, and graphic design across multiple platforms. On the second day of my internship, I began working on the same things as everyone else on my team, so I’ve gained very valuable experience in digital marketing which has helped me narrow down my career goals. Interning here has given me the chance to work on several political campaigns at the same time, which I now want to do for a living.
What’s a highlight of your time at IMGE?
The highlight of my internship so far has been writing content for and sending emails to tens of thousands of people on behalf of multiple candidates. It’s truly been an honor to be trusted by my teammates to do such influential, meaningful work as an intern!
