A group of 10 UMass Lowell undergraduate students – the largest group ever sent – will be working and learning in the nation’s capital this summer as participants in The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars (TWC). TWC is an independent, nonprofit organization serving hundreds of colleges and universities in the U.S. and other countries by providing selected students challenging opportunities to work and learn in Washington, D.C., for academic credit.
Participating students include Rachel Besonen, Megan Burdt, Guy Frantz Saint-vil and Elyse Zerriny, all Political Science majors; Charlene Clark, Kevin Gillotte, Bryan Weadick and Maria Zaccchini, all Criminal Justice majors; business major Taylor Haselgard and economics major Manasa Kamineni. They have internships set up in agencies and organizations ranging from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency to the Institute for [Persian] Gulf Affairs and the U.S.-India Business Council.
TWC’s mission is to prepare college students and professionals for lives of achievement and civic engagement through integrated academic and work experience. Each student accepted to TWC is offered a full-time internship based on his or her interests, articulated in an essay written as part of the application process. In addition to working at the internship, each student takes at least one academic course which may complement the internship or focus on another area of interest. Students receive between nine and 12 academic credits for their summer’s experiences in Washington.
Frank Talty, political science faculty member and director of Academic Programs in the Division of Fine Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, serves as co-liaison to TWC for Lowell students.
“These students are going to have the experience of a lifetime this summer,” he says. “The expansion of their career in these next 10 weeks will be unlike anything one can experience in the classroom. Living, working and socializing in our nation’s capital will dramatically broaden their horizons.”
Priscilla March, assistant director of Career Services and co-liaison for the TWC program, adds, “Particularly in a tough economy, differentiating yourself is key when it comes to finding a job. These 10 students will have a tremendous story to tell potential employers about their work and study in DC, how they’ve grown as a result, and how they can bring that added value to their future workplace.”
Through a long-standing affiliation with TWC, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts offers in-state resident students with a 3.0 GPA or above substantial financial assistance to encourage their participation in the program. Because students attending TWC earn academic credit for their experience, they are eligible to receive their usual financial aid, up to the cost of attendance. In addition, TWC provides scholarship opportunities for students.
When these financial incentives are applied, students find that their experience in Washington costs roughly the same as a semester as a campus resident in Lowell.
Applications for Washington Center Internships for this fall and next spring and summer are now being accepted. For more information about The Washington Center contact Frank Talty (x 4328) or Priscilla March (x 2354).
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