Washington D.C. Summer Study Program is for everyone

We are Mackenzie Kuhl ‘19 and Jake Patrick Collins ‘16, proud graduates of CSB+SJU. We currently live in Washington, D.C. and serve as the CSB+SJU Washington, D.C. Alum Chapter Co-Presidents.

We like to say Washington, D.C. is one of the best places to be a Johnnie and Bennie outside of Collegeville and St. Joseph. In fact, our nation’s capital boasts one of the most engaged alum communities in our global network of Johnnies and Bennies. Every year, it is our desire to support one another professionally (or personally) and put our Benedictine values into practice.  Whether you are a current student, recent graduate, young professional, mid-level manager or even a cabinet secretary—yes, you heard that right—we have a place for you in our Johnnie and Bennie community in Washington, D.C.

We are excited to return to campus next week to speak with current students about how we have leveraged our CSB+SJU experience to build personal and professional success in our nation’s capital.  Specifically, we look forward to sharing the value and strong return on investment of the “Washington Summer Study Program” which is CSB+SJU’s summer internship program in our nation’s capital—directed by the political science department.

You may have heard about it.  The program is an intensive 10-week internship program that provides students the opportunity to work in Washington, D.C. for the summer while earning academic credit. More than that, the experience goes far beyond the classroom to help guide your future career moves and build critical life skills. This year the program is directed by Professors Claire Haeg and Matt Lindstrom.

We want to make one thing abundantly clear: this program is open to ALL majors and interests. If you have visited Washington, D.C., you might know that our city is more than just the government. Interested in finance and markets? We have an internship for you.  Are you pre-law? A D.C. internship will set your law school application apart.  Becoming an expert in climate change? There are countless angles to build your expertise. Theology major? Let’s talk. Global business leadership? Let’s really talk. Pursuing journalism or public relations? Okay, we really, really must talk.  Studying migration and refugees? You should probably call us right now.  We could go on and on and on.

We won’t lie to you: Washington, D.C. internships are competitive. This is especially true given that many (but not all) D.C. internships are paid.  But have no fear, the CSB+SJU liberal arts education prepares you well—and our Washington, D.C. Johnnies and Bennies have your back to help get you over the finish line.

Each summer, we assist the program by helping to prepare and connect prospective interns to top-tier internship site organizations across industries with our Johnnie and Bennie alums and non-alum network working in our nation’s capital. Our work starts now.

During our time at campus, we will host hands-on sessions and help build effective resumes and cover letters for DC-based internships.  We will share the top three skills you should seek to hone right now that hiring managers desire for the 2024 D.C. summer internship cycle.  We will give you tips and tricks to navigate the competitive resume stack to secure an organization that aligns to your major, interests and post-graduate goals.  We will facilitate introductions to current alums already working in your desired field in our nation’s capital.  We will share how you can transition your academic interests into a budding (and paying) professional career—no matter the industry. We hope to paint a picture on how the Washington Summer Study Program laid the foundations for our current careers in our journey from campus to the nation’s capital.

Whether you are interested in living in Washington, D.C. after graduation, applying for the Washington Summer Study Program, seeking some professional development guidance or just want to hang out with some Johnnie and Bennie alums, we hope you will engage with us during our time in Collegeville and St. Joseph.  If you have questions in the meantime or want to set up some one-on-one time with us during our visit, please send us an email: csbsjualumnidc@gmail.com.

We can’t wait to see you soon, Bennies and Johnnies.