Hillsdale College Celebrates 50 Years of the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program
Since the program’s inception, more than 685 students have had the opportunity to live, work, and study in the nation’s capital.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — This year, Hillsdale College celebrates the 50-year anniversary of the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program. During the past five decades, more than 685 students participated in the program.
The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program, which was founded in 1973, provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to participate in semester-long internships while continuing their Hillsdale education. Participating students have successfully secured internships at the White House, Congressional offices and committees, various think tanks, media and news outlets, national security agencies, museums, lobbying firms, international trade organizations, and charter and private schools.
“WHIP is a unique learning experience for Hillsdale students,” said Matthew Spalding, vice president for Washington operations and dean of the Van Andel Graduate School of Government. “In the evening, students discuss politics and history in their classes. In the morning, they go into work, experience politics in practice, and see the history of the United States all around them. The immersion in ideas and practice is formative and life-changing.”
In 2010, the College opened a permanent campus in Washington, D.C., which houses the Allan P. Kirby, Jr. Center for Constitutional Studies and Citizenship and the Steve and Amy Van Andel Graduate School of Government. The campus contains a large lecture hall, reception rooms, classrooms, a library and study space for Hillsdale students, and offices for the Hillsdale in D.C. faculty and staff. Plans to renovate and expand the campus are in the final stages.
The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program is open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors of all majors. Participating students live in Hillsdale housing located in a Capitol Hill neighborhood and take evening classes at Hillsdale’s D.C. campus.
“Participating in Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program is a formative part of many students’ Hillsdale College experience, regardless of their major or desired career path,” said Mary Greco, undergraduate program coordinator. “It provides students with the countless opportunities to grow intellectually, personally, and professionally.”