My internship has been one of the most enriching parts of my DC experience so far. I thoroughly enjoy every day that I go to work, and the hours race always seem to race by. This summer, I am interning at the Department of Education's (ED) Office of Post-Secondary Education (OPE) in the division of Institutional Service (IS). In case that sounds like a whole bunch of non-sensical jargon to you, I'm working for a division within the Department of Education whose purpose is to conduct grant programs designed to enrich and strengthen underserved colleges and universities around the United States, particularly minority-serving institutions (MSIs).
I have had the opportunity to work with some really wonderful and accomplished individuals at the ED, including my supervisor, who is an alumnus of Ohio State University! WAIP places a lot of emphasis on the importance of networking in DC (rightfully so) and the connections I've made with the folks I work with, just in the short time I've been here, are all so genuine and authentic. They all seem to understand the experience of being new to DC and are eager to lend a helping hand and words of friendly advice.
My primary duty at work is to assist with conducting the pre-screening process and reader panels for applications from universities we may potentially fund. However the internship has also given me the chance to explore DC and learn about other organizations taking interest in Higher Education. I have had several opportunities to attend events, hearings, and meetings at places such the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Brookings Institute, and a panel at the Newseum hosted by the National Journal. The future of Higher Education policy is of particular interest right now, as the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) is past due for reauthorization by Congress, and some members have named the HEA a priority in the coming months. However, whether Congress can get itself together long enough to actually agree on the terms of reauthorization remains to be seen (hint: experts are not optimistic). However, that being said, this summer is an exciting time to be working with Higher Education policy, and I am eager to see how the rest of my time at the ED plays out.
Stay tuned.
-Colleen Craig
I have had the opportunity to work with some really wonderful and accomplished individuals at the ED, including my supervisor, who is an alumnus of Ohio State University! WAIP places a lot of emphasis on the importance of networking in DC (rightfully so) and the connections I've made with the folks I work with, just in the short time I've been here, are all so genuine and authentic. They all seem to understand the experience of being new to DC and are eager to lend a helping hand and words of friendly advice.
My primary duty at work is to assist with conducting the pre-screening process and reader panels for applications from universities we may potentially fund. However the internship has also given me the chance to explore DC and learn about other organizations taking interest in Higher Education. I have had several opportunities to attend events, hearings, and meetings at places such the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the Brookings Institute, and a panel at the Newseum hosted by the National Journal. The future of Higher Education policy is of particular interest right now, as the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) is past due for reauthorization by Congress, and some members have named the HEA a priority in the coming months. However, whether Congress can get itself together long enough to actually agree on the terms of reauthorization remains to be seen (hint: experts are not optimistic). However, that being said, this summer is an exciting time to be working with Higher Education policy, and I am eager to see how the rest of my time at the ED plays out.
Stay tuned.
-Colleen Craig
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