Demmer Scholars: Interning at the White House
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Blogger: Frankie Pappalardo, one of 23 MSU students in the Demmer Scholar Washington, DC, program, a senior-level class in natural resources policy that meets one night a week and all day Saturday while working full-time as paid interns at federal agencies or non-governmental organizations that focus on natural resources.
I’m a recent graduate from Michigan State University (yippy!) and received a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and agriscience with a concentration in science and policy. Currently, I’m interning at the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), specifically with the land and water team. Most of my work deals with ecosystems and land issues. At first I was really intimidated because I’m working for the Executive Office of the President -- kind of a big deal -- but I’ve learned over the past few weeks that this is an awesome place to work. Everyone is really intelligent and is passionate about the work they do and I seem to fit in well!
The month of May was packed with graduation and the big move, as well as the start of my new journey as one of many D.C. interns. Some challenges D.C. has thrown at me: rush hour on the Metro (Yikes! If you aren’t running to get on the subway you better get out of the way) and inflated grocery prices (really missing Meijer right about now). Other than that, there are so many awesome and free things to do around D.C., I feel like I can never be bored. Some activities I have participated in include kayaking on the Potomac River, strolling through the Eastern Market on a Saturday morning, observing animals at The National Zoo and enjoying music at Jazz in the Park.
Through the Demmer Scholars program I’ve had some great experiences. We attend field trips a few times a week and are able to meet people with great influence over our natural resources. One of my favorite field trips was when we had dinner at the Cosmos Club, a very exclusive club that Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir were once a part of. With us were some of the top federal employees from different natural resource agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service. They gave us a few details on what they are currently working on as well as some advice on pursuing careers in the natural resource field. They praised us for choosing this field; one day we’ll take the reins of our natural resources.
So far it’s been an eventful month and I’m really looking forward to seeing what the rest of the summer as a Washington, D.C. intern has in store for me.
