Five BVU Students Heading to Washington, D.C., for Semester Internships

January 8, 2020

Five Buena Vista University students will spend the second semester in the nation’s capital as part of the University’s longstanding partnership with The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars, an effort that for more than two decades has seen BVU students living, working, and learning in Washington, D.C.

“The Washington Center program is one of BVU’s signature experiential learning opportunities,” says Dr. Brad Best, Professor of Political Science and Director of General Education. “And since I arrived at BVU in 2002, we’ve never had five students attend The Washington Center in a single semester. During my time at least, this is a record for BVU.”

Students and their semester-long internships include:

• Olivia Wieseler, a senior digital media major from St. Helena, Neb., will intern at The Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars, working in digital communications.
• Kristen Charette, a senior political science major from Tipton, will intern in law office of Todd Baldwin, who heads up a criminal defense firm.
• Iran Carlos, a senior political science major from Belmond, will intern with the Ecological Association of America.
• Ryan Jensen, a senior history education major from Bridgewater, will intern with the Association for Diplomatic Studies & Training.
• Andrew Hoffman, a senior history major from Chanhassen, Minn., accepted a position as an historical research intern, devoting his time to study the history of the 225-year-old DACOR Bacon House, a residence in the heart of Washington, just two blocks from the White House.

“Going from my hometown of 200 residents to Washington, D.C., will be quite a change,” says Jensen, who plans to set up audio equipment for interviews with diplomats as their past experiences with the Foreign Service Office are chronicled. “This is the type of research and historical work I’d like to go into one day.”

“The top-tier internship experiences they receive resonates very effectively when it comes to the job market.”

Dr. Brad Best

Jensen, who will student teach in the fall semester, is excited to also experience facilities such as The Smithsonian Institute, the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Mall and more. “Experiencing life in Washington should help make me a better teacher,” he says.

“I’ve been telling everyone since my freshman year at BVU I’d spend a semester studying and working in Washington, D.C.,” says Carlos. “I was so excited to learn of my acceptance into the Washington Center program.”

Carlos will put her vast audio recording knowledge to work for the Ecological Society of America as its staff members organize field trips for college students from around the country.

“BVU students also take a weekly course while they’re in Washington,” says Best, who serves as BVU’s liaison with The Washington Center. “When they complete their internship, they’ll have a portfolio featuring samples of their work, formal evaluations of their work in their internship and in the course they take. The portfolio is very useful when applying for a job or for graduate school.”

Best says BVU students of all majors have taken part in The Washington Center internships the past two decades. Additionally, he notes, it’s not uncommon for a BVU student to complete their internship assignment and receive a job offer from a firm located in the nation’s capital.

Funding assistance for BVU students engaged in The Washington Center programming has been provided, in part, through gifts provided by the Lamberti and Zinn families of Ankeny and Spencer, respectively.

“We are grateful to be able to continue this unique partnership with The Washington Center, which, we believe, represents the gold standard among internship providers in and around Washington, D.C.,” Best concludes. “The top-tier internship experiences they receive resonates very effectively when it comes to the job market.”