WASHINGTON - Valuable work experience aside, for Penn students interning in the nation's capital "schmoozing" is at the top of their to-do list.
Only halfway through the first summer of the Fels Institute Public Policy Internship Program, the interns, alumni mentors and program organizers are calling it a success.
Braving torrential rains, sweltering heat and a housing shortage, the program's 47 interns have spent over two months working, gaining insider knowledge and constantly expanding contact networks in Washington.
Internship placements ranged from public relations firms to the Department of Defense, and the program organizers say they worked with students to find the right match.
For College senior Jay Patel, his internship with the special inspector general for Iraq reconstruction served as a follow-up for a course he took on U.S. foreign policy.
"I get to work with some very accomplished people in the U.S. government: former ambassadors, former White House staffers, speech writers," he said.
Patel, who is researching the history of the Iraq reconstruction process for a new book, says that the best part of his job is being "able to contribute to something that's going to be read by the American public."
Deirdre Martinez, associatedirector of the program, said that the program had exceeded all expectations, having placed far more than the anticipated 25 students. Martinez also said feedback from sponsors, many of whom are Penn alumni, has been positive.
Audrey Chang, a 1992 College graduate now works for public relations and policy research firm the Harbour Group LLC, hired College junior Michael Thomashow for the summer program.
Thomashow said that he had never been politically active, and came to Washington to gain a better understanding of how things work inside the Beltway.
The most surprising part of the experience, Thomashow said, is that rather than just doing "basic interning work," like copying files, "they take my opinion more seriously than I thought they were going to -- they give me a lot of respect."
Fels Director Don Kettl said that once the alumni sponsors "see the extraordinary quality of Penn interns," he hopes they will continue taking interns.
Chang, the 1992 graduate, said that Thomashow, who started working in May, has been great.
"Because the internship has been so positive, we would definitely consider another intern if we found the right match," Chang said.
In addition to the internship placements, the program also paired students with other professional mentors in Washington. The students and mentors met at a reception earlier in the summer, where, Martinez said, many interns took the opportunity to meet as many contacts as they could.
Thomashow said that he "definitely schmoozed and introduced" himself to a number of mentors and has already followed-up on a few contacts.
Although the internship and networking parts of the program have been successful, organizers acknowledge that changes are being made to make the program more accessible for next summer.
Since many of the internships were unpaid and housing costs were not covered by the program, Martinez said some "students didn't even apply because they knew they couldn't afford it." For next year, program organizers say they hope to help students find paid programs in Washington or programs in other cities.
When students return in the fall, College of Arts and Sciences Dean Dennis DeTurck said that there will also be a series of follow-up programs to make sure the internships serve as an academic opportunity.
"For a lot of students, these turn into longer-term research projects, part of students' academic programs," DeTurck said.
As for the long-term goals of the program, DeTurck said that although the program organizers would like to see an increase in Penn's presence in the nation's capital, future plans include supporting student interest in public policy around the country.
"Some of the interns will hopefully get interested in [politics] and stay. D.C. is one of the main places to do that, but there are other places and there are already plans afoot in Fels to expand," DeTurck said.
