UDC President Allen L. SessomsWASHINGTON, D.C. -- The University of the District of Columbia announces the inaugural class of the Congressional Internship Program, a new initiative designed to provide students experience working on Capitol Hill with the nation's elected officials.
The Congressional Internship Program is the product of a joint effort between the university's Office of Government Relations, faculty of the School of Urban Affairs, Social Sciences, Social Work, and the members of Congress who have agreed to employ UDC students for one or two semester internships.
"As Washington, DC's only public university, we are proud to be able to extend these opportunities to our students," said President Allen L. Sessoms. "We are grateful for these Members of Congress, who look to UDC as a real resource not just for them, but for Washingtonians at large."
This semester, the program has placed six undergraduate students in various Congressional offices, including the offices of Congressman Lacy Clay (MO), Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC), Congressman Raul Grijalva (AZ), and Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL).
A second class of CIP participants will be placed in the spring. "This is a great time for the District's state university," said Aimee Occhetti, UDC's Vice President for Government Relations.
"Our students can now see how the Hill operates and gain valuable work experience – just like students at universities all over America." "I'm a little nervous but very excited," said Amoy Reid, a UDC Senior and Political Science Major. "As District residents, we should all learn how things work on Capitol Hill and get involved in the many issues in which the federal government affects our lives."