Summer in DC

A Look into the Experiences of Friedman and Gow Fellows

For many students, there is no better place to spend the summer than Washington, DC. The nation’s capital provides ample opportunities to deepen one’s learning outside of the classroom through the pursuit of a wide range of fascinating internships. The Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy and Technology (CMIST) encourages students with such aspirations to apply for financial assistance through the Summer Friedman Fellowship and the J. Steele Gow Political Internship Fund. 

The Milton and Cynthia Friedman Fellowship has been aiding undergraduate and graduate students interested in gaining firsthand policy experience through an internship in Washington, DC for over 20 years. Designed to enhance academic pursuits, this fellowship program supports valuable work experiences that inform students’ career paths and graduate school decisions. For undergraduate students who are residents of Western Pennsylvania, the J. Steele Gow Political Internship Fund, also provides awards in support of Washington, DC, summer internships. These internships may be with the offices of Western Pennsylvania members of Congress, the federal government’s executive and administrative offices, or the political parties’ national offices. Recently, we connected with current Friedman and Gow Fellows interning in DC to learn about their experiences. 

Rising senior Marcus So-Holloway is a Friedman Fellow interning at the National War College, an educational Department of Defense institution that focuses on national security strategy instruction. During his time in the internship program, So-Holloway, who is majoring in international relations and political science and minoring in military strategy and international relations, has not only summarized course readings for professors and updated syllabi, but also is preparing to present an independent research project. Highlights of his experience include the opportunity to work in a historic building on Fort Lesley J. McNair and learning about the faculty members’ experiences in government and the military. “Everyone I have met is very senior and has tremendous amounts of experience, so it is truly incredible to get their perspectives on issues and hear firsthand about major world events,” So-Holloway shared. 

Both So-Holloway and fellow rising senior Amanawit Assefa, also a Friedman Fellow, were drawn to pursue internships in DC given its prominence as the heart of politics, public service, and foreign policy. Assefa added, “It’s not just about work here; it’s also about being surrounded by like-minded individuals from all over the world who share similar aspirations of making a difference.”

Assefa, a political science, security, and technology major, is an education technology intern at mEducation Alliance, an organization that leverages technology to enhance the educational landscape in African countries. In her role, she analyzes primary education curriculums in countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya to understand how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts are introduced in order to increase the efficacy of integration of such topics into the curriculum and to encourage young girls to pursue careers in STEM. She is also generating content on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in STEM education in developing countries by conducting interviews with key policymakers. During her internship, Assefa has enjoyed connecting with many fellow Ethiopians in DC. “It truly feels like my home away from home,” she added.

Rising senior Elizabeth Zapanta’s experience last fall during the Carnegie Mellon University Washington Semester Program (CMU/WSP) inspired her to explore opportunities to return to DC for the summer. As a Western Pennsylvania resident, she applied for and received the Gow Political Internship Fund, which allowed her to pursue this goal by working as a legislative intern for Senator Bob Casey, Senior Senator for Pennsylvania. Zapanta, who is majoring in international relations and political science with a minor in Hispanic studies, focused on economic development issues during her internship and “loved seeing the inside of legislative work, especially since that is not something you can learn from inside of a classroom.” She emphasized the unique atmosphere and energy working on Capitol Hill as well as her experiences watching votes in the Senate gallery and meeting crew members of NASA’s Artemis II Crew as highlights of her internship. 

Also on Capitol Hill for the summer is Elijah Dourado, a rising junior majoring in international relations and political science with minors in cybersecurity and international conflict and American politics and law. As an intern in the Office of U.S. Senator John Fetterman, Junior Senator for Pennsylvania, Dourado focuses on policy work, scheduling and administrative support, and press relations. He is gaining a deeper understanding of public service, community engagement, and the legislative process. His motivation to learn how to navigate the political arena drove him to spend the summer on the Hill. “If I had to sum up my favorite part [of the internship], it would be expanding my knowledge about multiple policy areas impacting the people of Pennsylvania. I hope one day, this experience of learning about a wide range of issues will lead to me being in a better position to represent and benefit the people in my state,” Dourado shared.

Friedman and Gow Fellowships help cover the cost of living in DC and provide what Dourado called “arguably the most essential thing in DC,” a no-cost University Pass (UPASS) to use the DC metro. He also appreciated the opportunity to meet with other fellows as well as Cynthia Friedman, and to take an informative professional development course taught by Haleigh Bartos, associate professor of the practice.

For Friedman Fellow Laila Bera, interning at the World Bank Group in DC has always been a dream. Bera, who will graduate next May with a Master of Science in Public Policy and Management (MSPPM), is working on the Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE) team. Her projects include creating a database utilizing research on location-based gig economy platforms in ten Southern African countries. She also analyzes job posting data and labor force surveys to identify alignment and gaps between in demand occupations and job readiness of women in two African countries. Bera noted her role at the World Bank aligns with her academic background in labor economics and interest in the future of work. Her passion for youth employment stems from her lived experience growing up in South Africa, and she considers her research “a tool for storytelling and a call to action for decision-makers to dismantle structures that contribute towards cycles of poverty.” 

United by the support offered by the Summer Friedman Fellowship and J. Steele Gow Political Internship Fund, these students have pursued a variety of incredible internship opportunities tailored to their own individual interests and career goals. As Dourado noted, “I would highly recommend applying for fellowships for any students interested in a semester or summer in DC; it provides students with the necessary funding and resources to make their dream internship experiences a reality.” 

(Image 1: left: Marcus So-Holloway, right: Amanawit Assefa; Image 2: left: Elizabeth Zapanta, right: Elijah Dourado; Image 3: left: Laila Bera right: view of Capitol Hill in Washington, DC) 

For more information about the Friedman Fellowship during the Summer or the J. Steele Gow Political Internship Fund at Carnegie Mellon University, please contact Ashley Barnes, Washington Program Manager, Carnegie Mellon Institute for Strategy & Technology (CMIST).