Washington Center (TWC) Academic Internship Program

JONESBORO – Six Arkansas State University (A-State) students will head to Washington, D.C., this spring to take part in the Washington Center (TWC) Academic Internship Program.

“TWC works with them to tailor cover letters and resumes to different organizations, and they choose where they apply. Some students only apply to certain companies,” said Dr. Jordan Butcher, assistant professor of political science.

This is the third group of students to take part in the internship program through TWC. To be eligible, students must major or minor in political science.

She said, “They come in to work during regular business hours and are treated more like peers by the people they work with, so I think that shows they can handle it.”

Butcher said this is a great opportunity for students to work in a field they think will be their dream career while still working toward their degree.

“They're earning course credit, so it won't set back their college career at all. It gives them a sense of what a career would look like,” she added.

As part of the semester-long internship, students receive six credit hours for the internship experience. They also earn credit hours for courses offered by TWC, including a professional development course. This course includes mock interviews as well as guest speakers.

“I'm really excited that we're bringing this opportunity to students on campus. It has impacted about 20 students, and it has only been running for a year,” Butcher continued.

Upon returning, some students have shifted their focus, while others have strengthened their career trajectory thanks to this internship opportunity.

“One student is about to graduate, and this semester will help him determine whether he wants to pursue a graduate degree to do research, or whether he wants to work in this field for a year or two before continuing on. The internship gives them the chance to explore in a different way,” Butcher said.

Students participating this semester include:

Elizabeth England, a senior majoring in economics and political science from Piedmont, Mo., is interning at The Potomac Advocates.

Ann Marie Long, a senior majoring in history and political science from Jackson, Mo., is interning at the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies.

William Partain, a senior political science major from Lepanto, is interning at 50 State.

Lauren Rush, a senior political science major from Manila, is interning at Tzedek D.C.

Tori Simmons, a master's student in public administration from Jonesboro, is interning at Inclusive America.

Cailee Williams, a political science major from Trumann, is interning at Voice of America.

Applications are currently open for summer and fall. Butcher said they have more internship placements than students to fill them.

This program is only available to political science majors and minors. A-State has partnered with TWC since 2022.