Hilary Krantz spent much of the past year researching and applying for internships to help satisfy the requirements for her accounting degree.
The Nebraska Wesleyan junior aimed high, and it paid off when she landed an internship with the Executive Office of the President in Washington, D.C.
Now Krantz travels everyday to the Eisenhower Executive Office Building where she is responsible for updating internal procedures for asset management.
“I absolutely love my internship so far,” said Krantz. “The people that I work with want to ensure that I am assigned meaningful tasks that will expand my skills and knowledge base.”
Krantz is currently interning through Nebraska Wesleyan’s Capital Hill Internship Program (CHIP). The program allows students to take nine hours of internship credit, a three-credit internship seminar each Friday and a three-credit politics course in the evenings.
“The CHIP program teaches students important critical thinking, organizing, writing and speaking skills,” said associate professor of history Meghan Winchell who coordinates NWU’s part of the Washington D.C.-based program. “Students gain the confidence they need to launch a career. The networking benefits from CHIP are immeasurable.”
The CHIP program offers internships to students in all academic majors. Students have interned at agencies and organizations throughout the nation’s capital including the White House, Navy Museum, National Center for Victims of Crime, National Education Association, and CNN.
“Just living on your own in D.C. is a learning experience in itself,” said Krantz. “Not only am I developing stronger accounting and finance skills through my internship, but I am becoming better rounded by being exposed to political science courses and issues through day-to-day life in D.C.”
Krantz hopes the internship will open more doors after graduation.
“Internships provide individuals with vital opportunities that help them to be more prepared and marketable for the job world,” said Krantz. “One of the biggest things I hope to gain from this internship are key connections with others in the professional field of finance and accounting.”