The Washington D.C. Summit Program provides students with opportunities to gain experience for their future careers. This program offers various internships for a variety of jobs. Tyler Christiansen is a previous graduate of BYU-Idaho and has been working at the Career Center for about 12 years. He works with students to prepare them for the Washington D.C. Summit Program. The Summit Program has two options for students to choose from, potentially influencing their career decisions. The first option, “Program Ready,” is designed for students who already have an internship lined up and require additional resources in the Washington D.C. area. This includes housing, transportation, and other necessities. “We have a lot of interns, but no real rhyme or reason to it,” Christensen said. “We can help steer you where you need to go and that allows us to be able to work with you.” The second option is catered to students who are considering internships in the D.C. area. Prospective students who have not applied for internships or have not secured a spot yet can take advantage of this program. “Your major doesn’t matter,” Christensen said. “You don’t know what you want to do? That’s the beauty of D.C. is that there’s a little of everything for everybody. After securing their internship, students can also apply for a BYU-Idaho Internship Grant. The grant aids in tuition finances, but students should plan for other expenses. Although most internships are unpaid, the majority of D.C. programs are paid. “If you’re on the East Coast, doing an internship that maybe doesn’t pay very much increases your odds of more money that you can get from those scholarship grants,” Christensen said. “Those internship grants are a little bit of help there.” Since this program is fairly new, a group of students are currently interning during this winter semester in D.C. Freshmen are eligible to apply for this program and intern during their senior year. “There’s a lot to keep track of and we’re definitely learning more every week,” Christensen said. “It’s going to change, it’s going to evolve. But we’re committed to it.” For more information, visit the Washington D.C. Internship Summit Program.
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