The UNC in Washington program is a collaborative effort between 14 major North Carolina universities intended to provide students with study and internship opportunities in the nation’s capital, according to program director Joel Clark.
Clark said students from all areas of study can apply for this program and representatives will assist the students in finding an internship position that best fits their interests.
“Internships are the main reason students are attracted to this program,” Clark said. “There are certainly government and political internships, but there are also opportunities in many other fields.”
Director of the University Honors Program Richard Blanton is the N.C. State advisor for the UNC in Washington program and said it provides students with an all-inclusive experience.
“The program exists to provide a coordinated experience for North Carolina students in Washington,” Blanton said. “It includes social activities, field trips, housing and a sense of group camaraderie.”
He said applicants are required to be of junior class standing and meet a minimum GPA requirement, but all applications will be given the upmost consideration.
“Any student could arrange a Washington internship,” Blanton said. “This program is designed to provide students with an enhanced experience.”
Clark said students take a full schedule of courses while enrolled in the program, with some courses provided by the program itself and others provided as distance and online education classes through their respective universities.
“Students attend a seminar once a week that presents an interdisciplinary look at Washington,” Clark said. “The classes offered through the program are not like taking classes on campus, they are much more interactive.”
Lawrence Moye IV, a senior in economics, said he attended the program last spring and was extremely pleased with what it offered him while he studied in the city.
“I had an extremely rewarding experience,” Moye said. “It’s great not only for the students involved, but for the UNC system to have a youthful presence in Washington.”
Moye said the UNC in Washington program allows students to easily employ the resources of their respective universities.
“It allows students to utilize the system of contacts that their University has already established in D.C.,” Moye said. “I enjoyed the fact that I was able to stay registered as a full student while spending a full semester in the city.”
Jessica Nance, a senior in political science and communication, said she participated in the program this past summer and she treasures the time she spent in Washington.
“It was one of the best experiences of my life,” Nance said. “If I had gone up there without the guidance that is offered to you through this program it would not have gone well.”
Nance said her time in the program helped her to grow as a person and recommends that everyone should sign up for a program like this.
“It was life changing for me, not just socially, but in the way I present myself as well,” Nance said. “Everyone should have to do something like this.”
