The Story
W&M in Washington Kicks Off Strong
The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden provides a beautiful area for relaxing in Washington, DC. Photo by Marina Stranieri.
Three weeks down, many semesters to go. Thats the briefing from our nations capitol as 18 students continue to reap the benefits of being the first participants in William and Mary in Washington, a brand-new program this fall.
"WM in D.C.," as they nickname it, offers a 12-credit semester with internships in downtown D.C. In addition, there are two four-credit classes that meet at nights and on Fridays.
"Challenging but illuminating," says senior Michelle Treseler about the workload of the program. "Adrenaline will carry us for a bit, and then well see."
Internships have variable times and locations, but overall run 32 to 35 hours a week.
"I have no typical day at work," Treseler said, "as my internship [with the Center for the Study of the Presidency] takes me everywhere from the George Washington medical school to a Capitol Hill luncheon with a former White House fellow."
Junior Jenny Hoover spends her days at the American Bar Associations Governmental Affairs Office, where she works with ABA governmental lobbyists and attends congressional hearings. She credits the efforts of the Colleges Washington Office and Professor Chris Nemacheck, who leads weekly courses, for a successful correlation between curriculum and "real world" experience.
"Because there is a ton of overlap with my internship and classes, I not only get background for my work, but I also can apply what I am learning at the ABA to class," said Hoover.
Sophomore Julia Curtis said, "your time is no longer your own," though "its not to say that we dont have fun. Just this morning we played football on the Washington mall."
This alone might make the program worthwhile, but these students didnt mention the accommodations: two historic townhouses with a window view of Capitol Hill.
If there is any complaint about the program, one student who requested not to be named wished that the school would offer more than the current four credits for 36 weekly hours spent interning.
"While were definitely working for our 12 credits more than we might on campus," senior Nathan Koch said, "theres something to be said for having everyone on the same schedule and with the same responsibilities. The city has so much to offer on many levels."
Professor Nemacheck is enthusiastic about how well the program is already meeting its goals.
"Though the schedule is demanding," she said, "the students are even more involved in class discussions than, in my experience, they have been on campus."
Insisting that D.C. can be just as much fun for the professor, Nemacheck urges College students to apply.
"A program like this one offers students the chance to meet people who have experience in their fields of interest and gain first-hand insight into what its like to work in a job associated with their studies."
Dont worry that your political opinions wont be heard, our Capitol Hill dwellers advise.
"Theres a wonderful diaspora," Treseler said, "with conservatives, liberals, moderates, and the occasional outlier."
Dont be scared if law and politics dont interest you. Next semesters theme is "Washington and the Arts: The Intersection between the Global and the Local," studying the connection between national and artistic culture (more details at www.wm.edu/wmindc).
In light of their unanimous praise for the programs myriad opportunities, this falls 18 participants can relax about how successful "WM in D.C." is in its trial run and focus on their intense schedules instead.
"This is something I had secretly hoped would be possible when I applied to William and Mary," sophomore David Husband said. "The experiment seems to be going well so far, and the guinea pigs are enjoying themselves!"