Students work in Washington for semester

Four IU students are currently representing the University as spring semester White House interns. They serve the White House in various capacities, and for each student, the road to the White House was not a simple one.

Junior Evan Kaufman, a finance major, has had the program on his radar since his freshman year of college after he spent the Fourth of July at the nation’s capitol, he said.

After unsuccessfully applying for the internship last summer, Kaufman decided to try once more — this time with better results. He now interns at the National Economic Council, which deals with national and international economic policy.

Interns at the NEC work with staff doing in-depth research and logistics, as well as help with scheduling requests, administrative support and memo-writing, Kaufman said.

Kaufman said he arrived in Washington, D.C., for the internship eight days early to maximize his time and experience in the White House.

“It is humbling and exciting,” Kaufman said. “Everyone I work with is extremely intelligent and motivated. As a business student, I hope to gain a unique perspective of how public policy influences the business arena.”

Early in the fall semester, Drew Anderson, 2010 winter IU graduate in journalism and former Indiana Daily Student writer, was walking from Kilroy’s to the tailgating fields when a friend told him about the White House Internship Program, he said. Anderson quickly filled out the application when he learned it was due one week later.

“I knew the selection process would be really competitive as I’ve heard stories about it from friends on campus,” Anderson said. “All the interviews were intense, and by the end of each one, I felt like I had done a terrible job. Luckily, this wasn’t the case, but it was the hardest internship I’ve ever applied for during my undergrad career.”

A few months later in early December, after essays, letters of recommendation and four interviews, Anderson was selected to intern in the Office of the First Lady.

The White House Internship Program aims to open the home of the president to future leaders and public servants, truly making it the “People’s House,” according to the White House website. For the current semester’s session, 142 students from across the nation were selected.

“This program will mentor and cultivate young leaders of today and tomorrow, and I’m proud that they will have this opportunity to serve,” President Barack Obama said on the internship’s website. “I look forward to working with those that are selected to participate, and I want to commend all who apply for their desire to help through public service to forge a brighter future for our country.”

Anderson has aided staff with the First Lady’s “Let’s Move!” and military families initiatives, as well as managed media interested in those efforts.

“My tasks can be pretty intense, yet at the end of the day, it’s worth it,” Anderson said. “The internship so far has been great, and it’s a satisfying experience both professionally and emotionally.”

Anderson said he sees his time in Washington, D.C., as permanent.

“Ever since I lived here for the spring semester in ’09, I’ve never fallen out of love with this city,” Anderson said. “In fact, I graduated early just to get back here. This place is special, and it’s a place where I will always call home.”

Third-year IU Maurer School of Law student Jennifer Ellis was notified of her initial selection via a White House voicemail on her phone after a three-hour law school exam.

She now interns with the Domestic Policy Council and specifically works on Native American issues.

Though she is preparing for an upcoming May graduation and a summer bar examination, Ellis said she is just enjoying the excitement and fast-paced environment of Washington, D.C.

“I would definitely encourage people to apply for the White House internship,” Ellis said. “There are so many different positions and offices that cover such a broad range of topics and policy issues. There really is something for everyone.”

Melissa Orizondo, a junior majoring in journalism and political science and currently interning in the Office of Media Affairs, found her way to the White House through IU’s Washington Leadership Program.

The program, part of the larger IU in DC Programs, arranges housing during stays in Washington, D.C., and facilitates class shopping and acquisition of academic credit for students’ internships.

Elizabeth Sandbothe, director of IU in DC Programs, said she believes IU students succeed in Washington internship pursuits for a reason.

“It starts with IU’s curriculum that prepares students for the real world,” Sandbothe said. “IU in general has high expectations for all of their students, and that makes them more marketable.”

Sandbothe said the White House Internship Program is prestigious and difficult with the sheer number of student applications and the finicky nature of selection.

“Students don’t know exactly what the White House is looking for,” she said. “They look for a particular skill set.”

Orizondo met those skill sets and said her experiences thus far with the White House have been fantastic. She said she hopes to gain a better understanding of how media relations function at the national level of government and forge lasting relationships with the many people she has met thus far in the internship.

“Every morning when I walk to work, it is still hard to believe that I am here and get to do this for four months,” Orizondo said.