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| Mike Smith and Luke Russert |
by Jordana Merran
The Washington Center was a pioneer in the field when it began coordinating DC-based internships for American college students over thirty five years ago. Internship participation hovered in the single digits. Today, that number is closer to 85 percent; and at its 2011 gala held Monday night at the National Building Museum, the group revealed plans to grow these opportunities even further.
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| Washington Center Alumni |
“Students need to test drive their majors,” said Mike Smith, President of The Washington Center. The organization hopes to expand the number of participating institutions in the US and abroad—already over 500 strong—to allow more college juniors and seniors to spend a semester doing just that—experiencing the challenges of the corporate, public, or think tank arenas in one of the world’s most powerful cities, and beyond.
Hosted by NBC Correspondent Luke Russert, the event drew nearly 500 guests, among them award recipients—including Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Representative Harold “Hal” Rogers (R-KY), representatives from participating institutions, program alumni and current students; and raised $450,000 in donations that will go towards scholarships.
