Jessica Lewis '07 (West Rutland, Vt.) started her summer with culture shock. Going directly from a study abroad program in Spain to a high-profile internship in Washington, D.C., Lewis dived straight into serious work experience as a research intern at the Institute for Women's Policy Research.
Lewis was not only employed in a highly competitive internship, but also one of 13 Hamiltonians who received college funding to conduct her internship. Thanks to generous gifts from alumni and parents, Hamilton students can apply for funding to support them while they work in a field of interest with an organization that cannot pay them.
Though Lewis worked in what is known as an "unpaid internship," she received money from Hamilton's Joseph F. Anderson Internship Fund, given in honor of a 1944 Hamilton graduate who served the college for 18 years as vice president for communications and development. The fund in his name provides individual stipends to support full-time internships for students wishing to expand their educational horizons in preparation for potential careers after graduation.
"It's amazing," Lewis said of the Fund. "Definitely something that sets Hamilton apart from other schools."
The Institute for Women's Policy Research is a non-profit organization which operates out of Washington, D.C. It conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. As a research intern, Lewis was mainly involved in gathering information. Her "big project," as she called it, was conducting a literature review for her boss, Dr. Barbara Gault, who was writing a grant proposal. In her free moments, Lewis collected data for the Status of Women in the States report, published by IWPR every two years. She was also responsible for copy-editing and organizing a networking event for interns and entry-level workers in D.C.
Lewis said she got a lot out of her summer experience. Working 40-hour weeks with four other interns, Lewis felt that her job was "a wake-up call…a transition. They really want you to get the experience of what it's like to work in D.C."
"We had a lot of responsibilities," Lewis explained, but added that her office "had a lot of respect for us." She had chosen an internship for those responsibilities and "the structure and networking opportunities that interning gives you." She found these opportunities in her employment, but also that living in the city was itself a networking opportunity.
Lewis found the position before she went to Spain, through a conference intended to encourage women to work in politics and public service. While there she spoke to IWPR representatives and later applied for their internship. Asked for advice to future applicants, Lewis stressed the importance of taking an internship – doing "something at least parallel to your career field" – and the need to be aggressive about applying. "Start early, be prepared to change your plans…and don't set your heart on one." She then added that "internships are really what you make them."
Lewis, a rising senior majoring in public policy, is a member of the Hamilton Womyn's Center and the Emerson Literary Society, as well as the Spanish club. She is considering attending law school after graduation.
-- Lisbeth Redfield
