In my first post, I wrote a bit about my educational background and previous internship experience at the Senate. In this post, I would like to talk specifically about my experience interning at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington D.C. where I had a wonderful experience.
Working at the Woodrow Wilson Center was very different from my experience in the Senate. While both internships were very interesting and engaging, congressional internships are fast paced, interactive, and oftentimes stressful. This was very different from my experience at the Woodrow Wilson Center. The whole organization emits a sense of calm and it is filled with bright, sophisticated scholars as opposed to anxious and frenzied congressional staffers. Many of the scholars are university professors or journalists from around the country who are not constrained to the same rules or time lines that politicians are. Instead most the scholars are working on specific books about a multitude of different issues from around the world.
Each intern is assigned to a specific scholar. I was assigned to work primarily with Neal Gabler and it was truly a pleasure working for him. Mr. Gabler has a variety of interests and has worked in several professions. Primarily he is a professor and journalist but he is also a published author and a political commentator. He has contributed to numerous publications including The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Esquire, New York Magazine, and Vogue. He has also appeared on many prominent television shows including the Today Show, CBS Morning News, Entertainment Tonight, and Good Morning America. His time at the Woodrow Wilson Center was dedicated to writing a biography of the late Senator Edward M. Kennedy, a project I was particularly fond of.
One of the best aspects of working at the Woodrow Wilson Center was that there was no “typical” day. Each morning I would arrive at work around 9.00 a.m. and meet with Mr. Gabler and discuss the day’s agenda. Some days he would have me research articles and publications at the Wilson Center while others he would have me travel to the Senate Historical Archives or the Library of Congress to find information for his project. I was allowed to personally attend interviews with prominent political figures, which really made me feel involved in the project.
The Woodrow Wilson Center has a wide variety of research tools at its disposal. It has a large library as well as access to an assortment of research programs like LexisNexis. As an intern at the Center you can get complimentary membership cards to the National Archives and the Library of Congress, which last for years. The Center also encourages students to use their resources and connections to do their own research for thesis papers or school assignments. It is a fantastic way to interact with prominent professors and journalists and it could be a great networking opportunity. While I was assigned to work primarily with Mr. Gabler I also had a chance to speak with lots of other prominent scholars.
My Senate internship was extremely interesting and engaging but very different. Each day I was responsible for certain tasks like answering phones or corresponding with constituents – all of which had to be done at a fast pace and in a specific order. At the Woodrow Wilson Center I never felt rushed or stressed. I could take time to really comprehend what I was researching and preform my tasks in a more meticulous manner. However, my congressional internship was equally as motivating and interesting. If you have a strong interest in research and would like to network with prominent journalists and professors from around the country than the Woodrow Wilson Center would be a great place to start.
Feel free to contact me about any questions you have. I’ll be happy to answer them for you.