Cameron DeHart, a senior political science major, spent the summer in Washington, D.C. with the Glenn School's Washington Academic Internship Program. He describes the incredible experience and what it meant to him below:

"This summer I had the opportunity to live and work in our nation’s capital through the Glenn School’s Washington Academic Internship Program. Without hesitation I can say it was one of the best experiences of personal and professional life. I got an inside look at our federal government and the broader public policy process, and I highly recommend a summer in D.C. for each and every political scientist.

Any amount of time spent in Washington can be remembered as “historic”. I was living in shadow of the United States Supreme Court when the historic health care ruling was handed down. I sat in the audience behind Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke as he delivered his semiannual testimony to Congress. On the 4^th of July, I was a stone’s throw from the Capitol as fireworks went off against the back drop of the Washington Monument. But beyond the city’s celebrity, I was shocked at how relaxed and friendly it felt despite its reputation for nastiness. The city has an atmosphere of Northern business and Southern charm that I wasn’t expecting to find. There is a very real human element to government that I think gets lost sometimes in the number-crunching and news sounds bytes.

For nine weeks I worked as an economic policy intern at the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank. At CAP I got an inside look at the public policy process, doing research on a number of relevant topics including the Senate’s highway funding bill. It was in this position that I realized I was no longer a “consumer” of politics. Rather, I am becoming a “producer” of information that will be useful in the policy process. Although political science and public policy are distinct fields, my experiences this summer are going to inform my own research at Ohio State and beyond.

When you first arrive in Washington, the monuments, museums, and history being made in the halls of power can be overwhelming. Many people take the opportunity to visit our nation’s capital for a day or two, but the experience of embedding yourself into this town cannot be oversold. Visit D.C. if you want to see some stone buildings. Live in D.C. if you want to experience government in action. (Or government inaction, depending on your point of view)."