The Hillsdale House
This article is part of a semester-long series following Aubrey Neal’s experiences in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP). WHIP provides Hillsdale College students the opportunity to participate in semester-long internships in D.C. while taking classes at Hillsdale College’s Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center.
The Hillsdale House is a greenish colored brick townhouse nestled in the middle of a quiet (by D.C. standards) residential neighborhood in the heart of the city – it’s hard to believe that we’re located only ten blocks away from the Capitol and even closer to Union Station. With such an amazing location and humble feel, I immediately fell in love with my new home. Brick walls, lofty ceilings, antique wood floors, door handles that looked like they were taken straight out of Alice in Wonderland – it’s the perfect mix of rustic American charm and historic D.C. grandeur. Between the beautiful surroundings and the girls that I’m living with, it is easy to say that this is going to be a good semester. After all, with every day seeming to be filled to the brim with new experiences and odd D.C. encounters, having a place to sleep every night that simply feels familiar is a huge blessing.
Out of the 18 WHIP students, there are 14 of us who are calling this corner of D Street our home. Even though there are a lot of us placed into only one house, everything that we need has been provided for us: a full kitchen, a washing machine and dryer, a vacuum cleaner, and even a TV. We all seem to be adjusting really well. The hardest part actually seems to be the fact that we have to buy our own toilet paper – which, after being blessed by the Hillsdale House Keepers back on campus, this is one of the real life experiences that each of us are encountering. Hello, grownup life. Hello, D.C.
Aubrey Neal is a junior at Hillsdale College, majoring in Political Economy. She is currently a participant in the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, interning at FreedomWorks in their public policy department. Originally from the mountains of Northern Idaho, Aubrey is excited to share her numerous new experiences and opportunities that the capitol is opening up to her with Hillsdale and its supporters.