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Students Meet with Alumni During D.C. Career Trip


 The Dickinson College Career Center took 25 students to Washington, D.C., to meet with alumni and other professionals who have launched dynamic careers in the federal government.

Participants visited Capitol Hill, the Senate, the House of Representatives, the Pentagon, the U.S Courthouse for the District of Columbia and other key departments and offices. They also attended a networking reception at the Embassy of France.

An insider's view
One of the day's first stops was at the Department of Homeland Security, where Michael Matthews of the Chief Human Capital Office offered advice on how to secure an internship in the federal government. Students also met with Foreign Service Officer David Young ’77 of the United States Department of Agriculture; visited the Senate building with Rich Harper ’96, legislative assistant to Sen. Diane Feinstein; took a tour of the Capitol with Mike Bilder ’07, legislative correspondent to Congressman Todd Platts; and spoke with Judge Richard Leon at the United States Courthouse.

Several students also spoke about national-security careers with Alaina Duggan '05, the state and local coordinator of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

"An unbelievable experience"
Duggan offers just one example of a Dickinsonian on a fast-track Washington career. A former member of Dickinson's field-hockey team who traveled to Bologna during her junior year, Duggan earned an itnernational-studies degree from Dickinson in 2005 and attained a master's degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 2008. She told the students that she enjoys her work, which involves addressing concerns from all areas of the department, including emergency management, transportation and immigration issues. "Every day is different," she later elaborated via e-mail. “I couldn’t be happier with the path I’ve taken, because it’s been an unbelievable experience."

Stay tuned ...
The Career Center is dedicated to teaching Dickinson students and alumni how to make and execute career decisions and connecting them to appropriate career opportunities. Other Career Center trips planned for this year include a trek to a major arts city for those interested in performing-arts careers and a Washington, D.C. trip for those interested in sustainability-related careers.


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  • Students pose at the main entrance of the Department of Homeland Security capital office.
    D.C. Careers
  • Michael Matthews, human resource specialist, offers tips to students who wish to become interns for the Department of Homeland Security. Matthews is the primary contact for Office of Homeland Security interns.
    Michael Matthews
  • A student listens as Alaina Duggan, a 2005 graduate of Dickinson, introduces Michael Matthews, human resource specialist for the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Human Capital, Hiring and Transition Response Team.
    D.C. Careers Trip
  • Scott Lewis '97 (left) and Andrew May '93 spoke to students at the Pentagon building. May, who majored in English and history at Dickinson, is director of net assessment in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.
    Lewis and May
  • Catherine Ludwig '10 listens to Sen. Dianne Feinstein speak at the United States Senate. Feinstein was elected to the senate in 1992. As chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, she is the first female senator to oversee the nation's 16 intelligence agencies.
    Catherine Ludwig '10
  • Recent graduate Nell Etheredge '09 gave students the inside scoop. A former intern for the Office of Federal Relations, student interviewer, resident advisor and career coach in Dickinson's Career Center, Etherredge is now a policy analyst at Council of State Governments.
    Nell Etheredge '09
  • Recent Dickinson alumni reconnect at a reception at the Embassy of France, where French officials spoke with students and other invited guests.
    French Embassy
  • Laura Hahn '06, who earned an art & art history degree at Dickinson, socializes with students and diplomats at the French Embassy. Hahn is a designer for the U.S. News and World Report Web site.
    Laura Hahn '06
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