College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

On the Hill

She had always wanted an internship and Cheryl Carder got one that she's really happy with at The Washington Center.
Editor's Note: Check out two other College of Liberal Arts & Sciences interns in Washington D.C.

Jessica Anderson - senior journalism major interning with the Scripps Howard Foundation

Katie List - senior journalism major interning with the Campaign for the United Nations Reform

Cheryl Carder had her choice of internships.

The senior political science major could have stayed in Iowa this fall and interned in Des Moines with the John Kerry for President campaign.

Or she could move to Washington, D.C., a city she hadn't even visited on a family vacation.

While the choice wasn't easy to make, Carder has no doubt that she made the right one.

"A week before I was scheduled to leave for Washington, I still hadn't arranged housing, an internship or any classes," Carder said. "My mom kept reminding me every day that Des Moines was still an option.

"It has been definitely worth it," she said. "I've told my advisor (Dana Schumacher) that I want to come to every Political Science 101 class and recommend The Washington Center to everyone."

In the end, Carder selected The Washington Center program over the Kerry campaign. That program places students in internships that are customized to meet individual student needs and combines professional-level work with academic learning for a unique, comprehensive experience that fosters success and leadership.

"I knew I wanted to do an internship," Carder said. "There is so much stuff that you can't learn in the classroom. An internship is a great way to learn those things. At a Congressional breakfast, (Iowa) Congressman (Jim) Nussle told us that 'there are dozens of things you will learn in the first month in Washington that you would never learn in a classroom.'

"It's true. There are a lot of things I can now point out that aren't necessarily in a textbook. I know I also wanted the work experience and wherever I interned, I wanted to make the most of the opportunity that came my way."

The opportunity that has come Carder's way in Washington is an internship at the national office of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), an advocacy group that lobbies Congress on a variety of public policy issues.

She selected the AAUW after going through a phone interview process.

"I liked the staff and their energy level. They also were working on issues that I wanted to learn more about," Carder said.

Some of the issues that the AAUW and Carder have discussed with Congressional offices include bills on the Head Start Program, the United Nations Population Fund and the Welfare Reauthorization Act.
Since the office Carder works in the AAUW is small with few full-time employees, Carder has gotten the opportunity to meet with several Senate office staffers.

In her brief time with the AAUW Carder has helped put together a voter's guide on the Presidential candidates and lobbied Congressional offices.

"That's the best part (lobbying) about the internship," she said. "I love being in the Capitol Building. I like being a part of the whole process. But the AAUW offers more than just lobbying opportunities. It's a well-known organization that is well-respected by the House and Senate members."

All students enrolled in The Washington Center program work at their internships Tuesdays through Fridays, with classes held in the evening. Carder is taking two courses during her semester in Washington.

Monday evenings, students attend lectures and seminars arranged by The Washington Center.

But it is the internship possibilities that lure students like Cheryl Carder to the nation's capital.