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Public Higher Education Takes to the Texas Airwaves
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UT Students Thrive in the Nation's Capital
This spring, you'll find UT Austin student Christine Nguyen working at two internships in Washington, D.C. — one with U.S. Congressman Michael McCaul and another with an international justice association.
Edward Adrian Sandoval, who's from UT Pan American, is at Congressman Lloyd Doggett's office, researching issues and going to briefings.
Beth Andersen, from UT Tyler, works at Concerned Women for America, a nonprofit Christian public policy organization.
It's a heady experience to live in the country's capital for a semester, the three students say. They get to see important people who are making decisions that may change the world. They get to wander the halls of the U.S. Capitol and visit the White House by invitation. If they are fortunate, they may come to understand what career, exactly, they want to pursue.
But, just as important, they get to meet and appreciate the other students who are at the UT System's Archer Center in Washington, D.C.
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Archer Fellows visit the White House by invitation |
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“I really think it's priceless to be here and network with fellow students,” says Beth Andersen, a speech communication major from Tyler. “Who knows where they'll end up going in the future?”
“It's not like being on campus, where you can pick your friends — people who are like you,” says Christine Nguyen, a Plan II major in Austin. “Here, we're living in a house with people from different backgrounds, lifestyles, philosophies, ideals, political views. It's an amazing experience. It's made me understand how important it is to be open-minded.”
The Archer Center began in the fall of 2000, founded by Congressman Bill Archer and the UT System Office of Federal Relations. The Center is dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders from Texas by giving them the opportunity to live and work in Washington, D.C.
Archer Fellows are selected from UT undergraduates on the basis of their academic and leadership skills, as well as their enthusiasm for politics and public service. This semester's 22 students comprise the biggest class in the Archer Center's history.
Staying in two four-story houses close to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Archer Fellows attend weekly classes to earn 12 hours of semester credit, as well as working full-time on their internships. Although the Center provides students with a list of agencies with possible internships, securing those posts is the student's responsibility, says Jenifer Sarver, director of the Center.
“They have to identify opportunities and apply, which is really good experience for them,” says Ms. Sarver. “They're learning how to do phone interviews and make up a resume. It's very good job training for them.”
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