Support the UC Davis Washington Program!
In 2005, Carol Wall, former Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, established the “UC Davis Washington Program Scholarship Fund” by generously donating $10,000. Carol’s intention in making this gift was to create a new endowment that would be open to any donor who wanted to support scholarships for students attending the Program. Since then, we have been working to build the corpus of the fund, and in 2007 we received over $5,000 in additional contributions from alumni. To date we have over $16,000 in the fund. Our goal is to increase the endowment to at least $100,000 so we can offer scholarships to qualified students who might otherwise not be able to participate in the Program.
You can make a significant impact on this vision by joining Carol and our other donors and make a gift to this scholarship fund. Your contribution of $500, $250, $100, or whatever amount you choose, will help nurture our community of talented UC Davis students by providing scholarships to support their Washington Program education.
Strengthened by your generosity, the UC Davis Washington Program can continue to produce students just like the one who said, “It was all amazing. This has been the best ten weeks of my life, hands down.”
For more information or to make a contribution, contact Sara Lombardo.
Thank you for your support!
Events
Davis
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Washington, DC
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If you are interested in becoming an alumni mentor, speaking at one of our events, or making a donation to the UC Davis Washington Program Scholarship Fund, please contact Sara Lombardo.
Alumni Profiles
Susan Swansiger - Attorney Advisor with the Office of the Commissioner for the Social Security Administration & 1990 UCD Washington Program Alumna
"I signed up for the
credit and the internship but got so much more," says Susan Swansiger, Attorney Advisor with the Office of the Commissioner for the Social Security Administration. Thanks to the UC Davis Washington Program, Swansiger interned in the Nation's capitol during the fall 1990 academic quarter. "Working at the Federal Judicial Center, the education and research agency for the federal courts, was my first real job. Prior to the internship, I knew that I wanted to go to law school and work in public service, but I had not had any exposure to the legal profession." Swansiger assisted attorneys and other specialists who coordinated training for federal court personnel. "My internship confirmed that I was pursuing the right career for me."
Swansiger was part of the inaugural group of Davis students to intern in Washington, DC . "Things were a lot different then. We actually lived in Falls Church, VA and had to ride a shuttle bus to a Metro station to reach the District."
Following law school, Swansiger was offered a position with her current employer but in Memphis, TN - a city where she knew no one. She credits her Washington Program experience with making her more adventurous. "Without that experience, I don't think that I would have accepted my first legal job in a city where I had never even visited."
For Swansiger, the UC Davis Washington Program was the beginning of her career and "absolutely" changed her life.
Joe Sheehy - Legislative Director for Representative Grace Napolitano & 2002 UCD Washington Program Alumnus
"I was a bit of a show
off", admits Joe Sheehy, Legislative Director for Representative Grace Napolitano, when asked about his UC Davis Washington Program
internship. "I thought I had to impress everyone at all times. I'm glad that I got over that quickly". Sheehy interned for Representative
Nancy Pelosi in Spring 2002 at the Democratic Whip Office.
As a new intern, he says that he found the work environment intimidating. "However, you learn that they {Members of Congress} are just people too. Having this internship exposed me to the professional working world. It required me to wear a suit, and taught me to communicate more maturely." After about two weeks, Sheehy calmed down and started to love his internship. His tasks started out with the mundane telephone coverage, faxes, and copies but expanded into letter writing, attending hearings, and working with staffers. "I know that I got my first job because of the skills, knowledge, and confidence that I obtained from my internship."
Now a legislative director who serves as policy advisor and oversees several issues, including transportation, taxation, and budgeting, Sheehy advises students to find an internship that offers a variety of assignments. "Further," he advises. "Relax, be confident, and be yourself."
Keep in Touch
We would love to hear what you have been doing!
Please email us updated contact and professional information at washingtonprogram@ucdavis.edu.