The VIEW Experience

This summer I was lucky to be selected as part of the Vanderbilt Internship Experience in Washington, otherwise known as the VIEW program. The group of 20 Vanderbilt students and I were provided with housing at the Pentagon Row apartments in Arlington, VA. The program matches each student with a two-month internship in their specific area of interest. As a political science major interested in government and public policy, an internship at the Vanderbilt Office of Federal Relations proved a perfect match. I was given several responsibilities as an intern. Each morning, I would read through a handful of major newspapers in search of news items related to higher education policy such as science funding or financial aid legislation. Summaries of these news items were compiled in DC Brief, a daily email sent to Vanderbilt faculty and administration intended to keep Vanderbilt afloat on the fast-paced changes on Capitol Hill. In addition to DC Brief, I also attended several congressional hearings of interest to Vanderbilt and wrote up summaries for my supervisor. On a few occasions, I was able to join my supervisor in meeting with Tennessee congressional staff members on topics of interest to the university. These meetings were an invaluable opportunity to witness public policy in action. Some of my more routine tasks included updating alumni contacts lists and delivering various Vanderbilt publications to the Tennessee congressional offices. All in all, my experience in Washington surpassed my expectations in every way, and I feel I have a much better understanding of the way our government functions.