For five decades, the Washington Center (TWC) has helped bolster the higher education and postgraduate careers of more than 1,000 Stockton University students through a semester-long internship program that is designed to instill confidence and career-readiness. 

Alumni of the program trace their career trajectories to the experience they gained during it. 

Through TWC, the Department of Transportation (DOT) sponsored a cohort of students, including Ike Ejikeme ’17, M.A. ’19, for the Summer Transportation Internship for Diverse Students (STIDG) program. 

The experience proved to be enlightening for him. “It really changed my life, because I knew at that point in my career that I wanted to work within the government, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Here, I got to learn more about governmental work,” he said. 

It also taught Ejikeme the importance of networking and building a strong rapport with everyone he met, from fellow students to leaders within DOT. His supervisor soon referred him to her network, which then led to additional professional development opportunities. 

After earning his doctorate, Ejikeme now works within the Department of Homeland Security, where he leads briefings on topics such as transnational organized crime, writes intelligence reports and works closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 

“I knew that [DOT] wasn’t necessarily what I saw myself pursuing in the long term, but it was an opportunity for me to learn about the inner workings of the government, network with federal employees and build the relationships that can help propel me to my ultimate goal,” Ejikeme said. “If not for the Washington Center internship, I would have never gotten my start, made the connections I made or been able to put myself out there.” 

In Fall 2019, Vincent Gearity ’20, a then-senior Health Science major, walked into the Career Education and Development office and learned about the TWC program. 

“I looked into it and decided that the investment itself was worth it, and the center’s partnership with Stockton was really enticing to me,” he said. “I figured that it was time to bet on myself and see if this could, hopefully, lead to a job in D.C.” 

The following spring, Gearity began an internship with the National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), which combined his interests in public health and policy while cross-training him in every department. 

Before working remotely, Gearity had the chance to attend briefings and interact with public policy decision-makers on the Hill, even riding in an elevator with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. After graduating in 2020, he now oversees fundraising, partnership building and philanthropy for the NHMA full time.

He also manages NHMA’s TWC interns. “We tell them that the internship is what you make it; if you’re eager and reaching out to other departments to learn and help, your resume is going to be the most well-rounded one for an entry-level position.”

Assistant Director of the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy Alyssa Maurice was a first-generation student pursuing a degree in Political Science when she decided to apply to the TWC internship program’s counterpart at Monmouth University.

She landed at the publicly traded corporation S&P Global, where her role on a government relations team linked her interests in communications and public policy. Maurice fondly described the experience as a “crash course” for aspiring professionals.

“They met with us regularly to give feedback, set up meetings with professionals at consulting firms or legislators and even gave a lesson on investing,” Maurice added, referencing S&P Global’s subsidiary, S&P 500.

As the new liaison in Stockton’s partnership with the Washington Center, Maurice is looking forward to seeing a new generation of interns gain the same skills and learn the same lessons she did.

“It’s like a study-abroad opportunity,” she said. “It’s the best of both worlds: you’re getting all of those professional development benefits with the new experience of living in a different city for a full semester.”