What it's like to intern at the White House
Four years ago, as I was embarking on this crazy journey they call “your undergraduate education,” countless individuals told me that the best part about college was being able to explore a wide variety of interests that fall outside the realm of your major.
Of course, being a studious bookworm, I assumed that merely meant in terms of selecting classes each semester (which, by the way, LAS has amazing choices for elective courses). However, I have now come to realize that this time in our lives is a great time to explore those interests outside the classroom too, something I have been fortunate to do this last semester.
I am currently an intern in the Office of the Vice President at The White House. I work in the Communications Department. I assist the staff by monitoring media coverage of the Vice President, prepare memos and press releases, and complete many other tasks that change on a regular basis. It all depends on what is needed for that day.
Truth be told, I was never interested in politics. I am currently in the process of applying to law school and hope to practice criminal law in the future. That being said, when the most powerful office in the country accepts your application to intern, you do not say no.
I applied twice to The White House Internship Program. As you can imagine, it is incredibly competitive. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences has great resources when it comes to looking for internships; other University of Illinois alumni who participated in White House internships encouraged me to seek those out.
If selected, you will undergo a vigorous background check process and partake in at least one interview. Odds are, you won’t end up in the department for which you interview. I had no experience in communications before I arrived. My supervisors were patient and willing to teach, and it was easy to figure things out from there. In fact, I am grateful to have been placed in a department that was unfamiliar to me; I now have a new skill set that will hopefully come in handy as I pursue other employment opportunities in the future.
Washington D.C. is also an incredibly fun place to be! The Smithsonian Museums are free. When the weather is warm you can paddle boat in the Tidal Basin and when it’s cold, you can ice skate in Georgetown. You will never get bored. This is my second time living in D.C. and I still find interesting exhibits to visit or festivals to attend.
Interning at The White House gave me the chance to go outside my comfort zone. I still want to be a lawyer, but this experience has opened my eyes to many other areas of interest that I hope I can explore before settling down in a career. This experience has been the epitome of taking advantage of your undergraduate experience – make sure to take advantage of yours, too!
The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers more than 70 majors and provides a world-class interdisciplinary education that prepares students for lives of impact. Learn more about LAS.