CMC’s Washington Program offers students opportunities to “learn by doing” while living in the nation’s capital for an entire semester. Whether their goals are to hone leadership skills, gain Capitol Hill experience, or explore how the U.S. government functions, the 21 interns working inside the Beltway this semester are benefiting from valuable exposure to potential careers.
Open to students from the 5Cs, this fall the program welcomed its largest cohort in any given semester since 1983. These students are taking part in a rigorous academic curriculum, while working with U.S. Representatives and Senators, agencies including the Securities and Exchange Commission, and media outlets, such as CNN.
And for the first time ever, a CMCer garnered a much-coveted internship with the Office of Space Commerce at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
According to Washington Program Director Dr. Maija Harkonen, these potential career stepping stones pave the way to work at the intersection of science, technology and public policy, as the Washington metropolitan region now ranks just below the Bay Area and Seattle as a hub for high tech.
“The program is beneficial to students with a variety of career interests,” Harkonen said. “Some will work in government and politics, or for think tanks, but also in media and technology.”
Bridging the sciences and an interest in policy hit the sweet spot for Chad McElroy ’26, as he interns with the Office of Space Commerce. The experience is helping to “inform what path I ultimately want to take within the field of space policymaking.”
A Government major, and self-described “political geek,” McElroy said he was compelled to join the Washington Program to “test what I had learned about in classes and seminars by means of a real-life internship in politics. In my first month, I had already gained insights into the policymaking process and how bureaucratic agencies such as the Department of Commerce play a role in the enactment of policy. I am coming to appreciate the complexity of the policy process in a way that I could not fully understand from the perspective of a student on the outside.”
In addition, McElroy is gaining “plenty of opportunities to connect with industry professionals, service members, politicians, and administrators to further learn about their work and their career paths.”
With plans to attend law school, Hannah Adams ’26, had previously interned with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and participated in CMC’s Prison Education Project. Expanding upon her experiences in criminal justice and law enforcement, Adams’ legislative internship with U.S. Representative Jay Obernolte (CA-23) is helping her to achieve her goal of learning more about “law making and politics.”
“What better place to do that than D.C.?” said Adams, who at CMC is majoring in Government with a Legal Studies sequence. Describing life in the capital as “busy and fast-paced, but fun,” Adams said her work in Obernolte’s Washington office is “spent interacting with constituents—whether it is talking to them on the phone, writing letters to them, or taking them on tours of the Capitol. The best part of working in the office is seeing and hearing the other staffers work on possible legislation.”
Madeline Nesbitt ’26, interning in California Senator Alex Padilla’s office, described her duties as researching and creating memos “on policy issues including foreign relations, environmental policy, and healthcare,” she said, adding that she is also attending “as many events as possible while Congress is in session.”
Working for the Senator builds upon Nesbitt’s previous experiences with the Council on International Educational Exchange in Seville, Spain, and as a staff assistant with California State Assemblymember Tasha Boerner (Carlsbad). A dual major in Government and Spanish, Nesbitt hopes to leverage her Spanish language skills, possibly return to D.C. post-graduation, and pursue a career with a humanitarian organization.
In addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the Washington Program, Harkonen, the program’s director, takes the students throughout D.C., organizing tours, including the National Archives Museum; Supreme Court; and Library of Congress this semester.
The networking and guest speaker programs often feature CMC Washington Program alumni, including: Rebecca Hermanowicz ’03, Assistant General Counsel for Ethics in the Office of the General Counsel at the National Science Foundation; Richard Johnson ’01, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear and Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Policy; and Sahil Kapur ’09, Senior National Political Reporter at NBC News.
With the common goal of preparing students for thoughtful and productive lives and responsible leadership in business, government, and the professions, Kristen Mallory, Director of Global Education and Off-Campus Study; Government Professor Jack Pitney; Director of CMC’s Policy Lab, Zach Courser ’99; and staff from the Soll Center for Student Opportunity join Harkonen in playing pivotal roles in students successfully navigating D.C. Mallory’s team manages logistics, while Pitney and Courser promote the program and help students land internships; and the Soll Center provides personalized career advice.
The results?
“Students return from D.C. with high-caliber work experience they can put on their resumes, as well as professional contacts, and even letters of recommendation,” said Harkonen. “These firsthand experiences have life-changing outcomes.”