Promise

Issue 4 | Fall 2011 | A Magazine for Alumni and Friends of The Washington Center

Promise | Fall 2011 | Internships and Academic Seminars

PAGE 1

In this issue:

Attend a TWC class from your living room TWC students are invading Capitol Hill What makes a quality internship? Like us on Facebook and you could win an iPad

On the cover:

Learn how Leah KatzHernandez 08 works to get the deaf and hard of hearing community engaged in the political process.

Engaging
OthErs thrOuGh
She might have been born deafbut having a disability hasnt stopped leah Katz-hernandez 08 from making an impact in the professional world. Leah
started blogging and vlogging (video blogging) to share her experiences with her family at the Democratic national Convention in 2008, and the site quickly became a widely disseminated source of information to the deaf community and established Leahs presence in the new media world of social networking, including blogs, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter. Leah recently sat down with us to talk about what got her here.

sOciAl MEdiA

Q: You participated in TWCs 2008 Democratic National Convention and 2009 Inauguration seminar programs. By being exposed to these events, were you inspired to become engaged in new and different ways? A: I had an interest in politics and majored in government, but I didnt know how I could get involved on a professional level. At the Democratic National Convention, I got the opportunity to volunteer in the Pepsi Center for the convention, and I learned about the inside operations by working in the boiler room. From that experience, I was able to get a much better understanding of the importance of volunteers and the value of the work they do for their political parties. From that experience, I have always emphasized volunteerism in my own activities and to other people. Q: What was a defining moment of your Washington Center experience? A: The defining moment happened when I was at my first Washington Center Campaign 2008 Academic Seminar at the Democratic National Convention. I had gotten the assignment to volunteer on the floor, and that night Hillary Clinton spoke to the convention. The floor was jammed with photographers, and it was my responsibility to ensure that all the signs you see on television on the convention floor were being passed out on time. I remember thinking to myself, Wow, what am I doing?

Connect with Leah!

Leah Katz-Hernandez

@leahkh www.youtube.com/ beltempo7

Deaf Youth USA

CLICK HERE

Deaf Youth USA @deafyouthusa

Promise | Fall 2011 |

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EnGAGinG OthErs thrOuGh sOciAl MEdiA (continued)

Ive always watched this on television, and now Im actually here! It was honestly one of the coolest, most fun things Ive ever done in my career working on the floor of the DNC while Hillary Clinton was speaking. Q: TWC is committed to providing opportunities for students with disabilities. Why do you think an internship or an experiential learning opportunity like the one you participated in is particularly important to students with disabilities? A: It really opens doors to students with disabilities, and thats especially valuable if a student has minimal to no previous professional experience. Before attending TWCs Democratic National Convention Seminar, I had only worked some minor jobs at my university and didnt get the chance yet to earn substantial experience in my desired fieldpolitics. I just didnt know where to start. After TWC, I had gained greater understanding of what people work on in politics, how they do it, and I even walked away with plenty of contacts, which ultimately became very important to me as I looked for internships later on. After attending two TWC Campaign 2008 Academic Seminars, I applied to a competitive internship program, and I strongly acknowledge that the TWC experience made my rsum more attractive to employers who were looking for prospective interns. They could see that I had the experience from being

involved with TWC, and that was where TWC really made my career happen. Q: What inspires you to inspire others? A: Quite honestly, its my own experience that inspired me to inspire others. At the Democratic National Convention and the Presidential Inauguration Seminars, I thought that what I was seeing and learning was incredibly awesome, not to mention historical as well. I just couldnt keep it to myself, and I wanted others who werent there to see it, too. I wanted to take my own experience and make it their experience, toofor every single person who viewed my blog or videos on YouTube. Deaf people are frequently excluded from the experiences that hearing people enjoy. And with social media I decided to break through to show them the magic and allure of the political world. Q: Its been almost four years since you participated in the Democratic National Convention Seminar, and we are about to start another presidential race. Will you be participating in any way? A: Yes, for 2012, Ive decided that its time to plunge into the world 100%. I plan to devote myself full time to President Obamas reelection campaign. I also intend to bring information about volunteering, the importance of voting, and voter registration to both the deaf/hard of hearing and the disability population through social media, the same as I did in 2008.

2012 national Political Conventions Seminars

Dont miss out on being a part of the political process in these unique seminars! Its an experience you will never forget. thE rEPublicAn nAtiOnAl cOnvEntiOn sEMinAr
Tampa, FL | August 1831, 2012

thE dEMOcrAtic nAtiOnAl cOnvEntiOn sEMinAr

Charlotte, NC | August 25September 7, 2012

For more information on:

Ways to participate, nominating a student, Figuring out if your alma mater is part of it
E-mAIL US AT

[email protected]

Will you be involved in the upcoming presidential race?

POST YOUR STORY On

Its my own experience that inspired me to inspire others.

LEAH KATZ-HERnAnDEZ 08

www.facebook.com/ twcalumni
E-mAIL US AT

communications@ twc.edu

Promise | Fall 2011 |

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EnGAGinG OthErs thrOuGh sOciAl MEdiA (continued)

Q: Speaking about sharing your experience with others, you won an award for the work you did with your blog and vlogs (video blogs). Can you tell us more about it? A: At the convention, I started a blog to keep family and friends updated. It snowballed into a major information dissemination blog for the deaf and hard of hearing in America during the elections, because I had done my posts bilingually both in American Sign Language and English. There are a lot of websites out there, but none showing information in sign language, and I realized the importance of engaging the deaf and hard of hearing voters in a nonpartisan way to encourage them to volunteer, register to vote, get out the vote, and be involved as citizens. In January, the Latino Inaugural Celebration Committee recognized my work and my blog by giving me the Local Grass Roots Leadership Award. I greatly valued that award because it recognized the value of the disability community within the larger community. Q: How would you recommend that other alums who are interested in giving back to their communities get involved? A: Volunteering is always the best way to give back. I would recommend that they get involved with their local elections if they live in their home communities,

with the local or state government. If theyre working on presidential campaigns, Id encourage them to really reach out to the disability community and ensure that the field headquarters are accessible to all who want to volunteer. If alums of The Washington Center are currently employers, they can get involved with the Greater Washington Internship Coalition, where they can get more resources on how to make their offices and programs more inclusive of people with disabilities. Q: What are you doing now? A: Im now the 2011 HSC Foundation Youth Transitions Fellow at the American Association of People with Disabilities. Its my jobs 100% focus to help young people with disabilities (college students or recent graduates) have a successful transition into the career world. One of our major initiatives is the Greater Washington Internship Coalition, which is a group of internship, fellowship, and apprenticeship programs that support the inclusion of people with disabilities. Additionally, I work on Capitol Hill to assist in the administration of the Congressional Internship Program for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. In my free time, I volunteer as the executive director of Deaf Youth USA. Its very fulfilling and enjoyable!

Q: What is the mission of Deaf Youth USA, and what are your duties as executive director? A: My duties as the executive director are to ensure that the organization complies with the bylaws, accomplish our yearly goals, communicate with the board members, and externally represent the Deaf Youth USA organization. We represent the 47,000 deaf youth in America between ages 18 and 35. That number may seem small, but it doesnt mean we are nothing. We advocate for social justice through media and activism. Q: Through your work, have you seen internships as a transformational opportunity for students? A: No question at all about the transformational power of internships for students, especially those with disabilities. It really enables them to get ahead in the game, learn on the job, and meet new people. Those people may further your career, or they may become your next best friends. Internship opportunities are truly the gift of a lifetime to a college student or recent graduate. n

To watch Leahs complete interview

CLICK HERE

ParTnErShiP wiTh C-SPan

Tune in to C-SPAn3 to join the first-ever televised Washington Center course hosted by C-SPAns Steve Scully, the executive producer and host of Washington Journal. To see the class sessions from this fall
CLICK HERE

THE WASHInGTOn CEnTER AnnOUnCES ITS

This new collaboration with C-SPAN began this fall semester and includes segments filmed at The Washington Centers Residential and Academic Facility. In addition to Washington Center students, George Mason University and Purdue University students are participating remotely.

The Washington Center is proud of our partnership with C-SPAN, which will provide our students a remarkable opportunity to meet and interview leaders in Washington, D.C.
mIKE SmITH, TWC PRESIDEnT

The first hour of the class consists of a televised interview with a prominent guest, including questions from students.Guests have includedformer President Jimmy Carter, former Majority Leader Trent Lott, Senator

Byron Dorgan, and journalist Sam Donaldson. The second hour of the class takes place in a more traditional classroom setting and is taught by Steve Scully, executive producer and host of Washington Journal. n

If you would like to join the class as an observer while you are in Washington, D.C., please e-mail [email protected]

JOIn THE CLASS

Promise | Fall 2011 |

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To see more photos of Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill

PHoTos: Students meeting with their members of Congress.

CLICK HERE

THE WAsHinGTon CEnTEr on

CAPiTol Hill
As part of The Washington Centers Public Policy Dialogues on Capitol Hill program, students have an opportunity to meet with a member of Congress or his or her senior staff. Students often do advance research on their representative to find out if he or she has taken a particular stand on an issue or voted on any legislation. The most popular topics that TWC students are discussing with their representatives this fall are education (both K-12 and higher), health care, the environment, the economy, and jobs. Often, students visit offices where TWC alumni are working. Currently, more than 60 TWC alumni work in congressional offices on Capitol Hill. n

Can you suggest topics for future dialogues?

SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS

[email protected]

Did you know that TWC students visited more than 300 congressional offices this year from 45 states and Puerto Rico?

nEW tWc study ExPlOrEs QuAlity Of

WAShiNgToN iNTerNShipS
hiGhliGhts frOM this study: The Washington Center recently conducted a broad-based study to better understand the range and quality of internship experiences in the nations capital and how internships can be improved. The sample included TWC and nonTWC students. n
Where do most d.c. interns work?

Federal Govt
39%

Nonprofit
34%

Private Sector
14%

Other
13%

What factors contributed to interns professional growth?

Feedback
To download a PDF of the full report,
CLICK HERE

Mentoring

Skills training

What academic majors are most common among d.c. interns?*

Would you like to receive future TWC research papers?

CLICK HERE

Political Science
47%

Intl Relations
14%

History
11%

Economics
11%

Criminal Justice
8%

Humanities
8%

Other

* Totals do not add to 100% due to rounding.

Promise | Fall 2011 |

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from a group to a page
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Read content targeted exclusively to TWC alumni Get invited to alumni events and receptions in D.C. and other cities in the U.S. and the world Have access to employment opportunities by fellow alumni

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Presenting the Pillar Award with Ella will be one of my lifes highlights.
KInnOn WILLIAmS 81

CrEaTingLEgaCiES
GAlA 2011: crEAtinG lEGAciEs The Washington Center is proud to have been around long enough for two generations of students to attend our program, and this years Gala highlights that milestone. Kinnon Williams and his daughter, Ella, jointly presented Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) with TWCs Pillar Award for Professional Achievement at The Washington Centers Gala 2011. The event, held October 3 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., raised more than $450,000 and celebrated the impact our programs have on our 50,000 alumni and the influence they have on their communities. Kinnon, who was a TWC intern in 1981, recalls his experience in Washington, D.C. I remember the excitement of living in D.C. and thrived on it. I could see the White House from my office, and can vividly remember when President Reagan was shot. I also remember attending concerts by the National Symphony on Capitol Hill and hanging out with other interns. Nearly 30 years later, he encouraged Ella to pursue an

AbOvE: Kinnon Williams 81, with daughter ella 11, during the pillar Award presentation. bElOW (l tO r): Kinnon Williams 81, ella Williams 11, Luke russert, Senator Maria Cantwelll (D-WA), The honorable Alan Blinken, and Michael B. Smith.

Promise |see | more To Fall 2011

PAGE 10

photos

of Gala 2011
CLICK HERE

internship, and she is currently enrolled in TWCs International Affairs Program. Her experience is as positive as her fathers: In D.C., she says, everyone feels they are doing something important, and I want to find that in my career, too. Kinnon is regarded as one of the leading eminent domain trial attorneys in the state of Washington. He has represented public entities and private property owners in negotiations, mediation, and bench and jury trials, including successfully arguing cases before the

Washington State Supreme Court. Ella is currently a senior at the University of Washington, Seattle, where she majors in Germanics and international studies (European studies) and has made the Deans List six quarters. Proceeds from the Gala provide the essential program support and scholarships that make The Washington Center accessible to all students, regardless of their backgrounds. We thank the many individuals and organizations that partner with us to develop our students talents and turn their ambition to a greater purpose. n

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Amy Coon 07 202.238.7964 | [email protected] 2011. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. All rights reserved. The Washington Center actively strives for equal access to its programs for all, regardless of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical challenge, or veteran status. The information in this magazine is correct at the time of printing. The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars 1333 16th Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20036-2205 Phone: 202-238-7900 Fax: 202-238-7700 Toll Free: 800-486-8921 E-mail: [email protected] http://alumni.twc.edu

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