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A Deeper Understanding of Public Service

March 20, 2012 at 4:56 PM ET by Christian Peele
Summary: 
Current students, recent graduates and young professionals are encouraged to think about spending the semester learning and growing someplace new – 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue

Ed. note: The application for the Fall 2012 White House Internship Program is now open. This blog post introduces readers to Amanda Ota, a former intern who worked in the Office of Presidential Correspondence in the summer of 2011. When asked about her internship experience, Amanda writes:

You think that the moment you’re accepted to the White House Internship Program is the most thrilling moment of your life – and then you start your internship. 

Every day at the White House is even more exciting than the one before.  The White House Internship Program is an incredible opportunity to take the skills you’ve developed throughout your education and apply them in a fast-paced environment.  When you’re working in the White House you have the opportunity to work beside some of the most committed public servants in the country, and there is no better way to prepare yourself for a future in public service than to learn from these incredible individuals first-hand. 

As an intern in the Office of Presidential Correspondence, no matter what project I was working on, I always knew that the work I contributed was helping to achieve the Administration’s larger goal of maintaining the most accessible presidency in history. 

Interns in the Office of Presidential Correspondence have the amazing opportunity to work alongside staffers who take the time to teach and coach.  By the end of the summer I viewed the staffers in the office as mentors and friends.

From the weekly speaker series with senior staff members to group service projects, the White House Internship Program prepares you for a promising future in public service. At the end of my internship, I left with memories I’ll keep forever, a greater sense of who I want to be as a public servant, and the skills to accomplish my goals for my future.

 

President Obama Says Goodbye to Students at the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center

President Barack Obama says goodbye to students lining a second floor hallway at the Yeadon Regional Head Start Center in Yeadon, Pa., Nov. 8, 2011. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

The White House Internship Program’s mission is to make the “People’s House” accessible to future leaders from around the nation. Consider applying for this program today.