Matsui Center Washington Internships
The Robert Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service at the Institute of Governmental Studies (IGS) is pleased to provide Matsui Center Washington Internships
Each year the Matsui Center will award four scholarships at $2,000 each to UC Berkeley undergraduate students, choosing two applicants in both the fall and spring semesters. The Matsui Washington Internship is meant to help students defray costs of the University of California Washington Center, and is open only to students already admitted to the University of California Washington Program (UCDC). Students should apply to the University of California Washington Program and will receive further information about the Matsui Internship selection process.
What we offer:
Besides providing interns with a scholarship to help defray costs of the overall program we are proud to offer additional programming in Washington D.C. Please see our prospectus for more information.
Spring 2012 Washington Interns
Ryan Barlow
Ryan is a senior majoring in Political Science. He is interning with the International Affairs and Trade Team at the Government Accountability Office.
"D.C. has been amazing thus far and I am very glad to be able to be out here! The weather has been really nice and the cherry blossoms are just now starting to bloom. It's been a great time to keep exploring D.C.
While at the GAO, I have been working on a performance review of one of USAID's signature construction projects. It's been very interesting and allowed me to see how USAID and the State Department operate. A lot of my role involves background research and bringing together data, but I have had the opportunity to write the first draft of several sections for the final report. It's been a very rewarding experience."
Silvia Bruckback
Silvia is a junior majoring in Political Economics and African American Studies, and minoring in Disability Studies. She is interning at the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund.
"Things at DREDF are going well. Though DREDF is focused on domestic policy, my true interests lie in our international disability rights agenda. I am the only other staff member for DREDF in DC, so all my work is meaningful and my days tend to be filled with meetings. I am staying an extra month at the UCDC center to continue my internship which is indicative of how I feel about my job."
Fall 2011 Washington Interns
Megan Blanchard
Megan is a senior majoring in Sociology. She interned at Institute for Policy Studies.
"My participation in the UCDC program was the highlight of my undergraduate experience at Cal. I was able to see the Sociology and Public Policy research I had learned in my first three years of coursework put into practice. As an intern at the Institute for Policy Studies, I assisted a research fellow in her 'Cities for Progress' project, which mainly included anti-poverty work and Federal Budget analysis. My office, only a few blocks from the White House, was welcoming and encouraged me to learn and get involved with projects that most interested me. With the completion of my internship, I have gained important professional skills, practical skills, and an understanding on how different policy research think tanks collaborate with other organizations to influence politics and make real change. Aside from the work I did in the office, I got experience all that DC had to offer; I explored the East Coast, met new people, and learned about new opportunities for the future. I would recommend a DC experience to any student interested in policy or politics."
Kansola Oshodi
Kansola is a senior majoring in Political Science and Rhetoric. She interned at the U.S. Department of State at the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
"A friend of mine recently ascertained the quote, 'Never succumb to the myth of limits.'
This semester, while interning at the State Department for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), I all at once recognized the strength in these words. DRL, the frontrunner of U.S. efforts to promote democracy, protect human rights and international religious freedom, and advance labor rights globally, afforded me the opportunity to observe and contribute to efforts geared towards the very significant work of advocating for the fundamental human rights of all people. I watched people who committed their lives to a set of profound objectives, which extended beyond the requirements of a mere ‘job’ into a purpose greater than themselves. I simultaneously watched as these same sentiments of steadfastness, coupled with a very particular courage, resounded across the world during the Arab “Spring” movements, which has left an unmistakable impression on me personally, and undoubtedly the international community. For a second time this semester, as I watched every-day people challenge the unlikely to prompt power shifts that were inconceivable just a few years ago, the quote rang true. Ultimately, my experience in DC, first as an intern then as a spectator of this fast-paced culture of young ambition, good food, and a surplus of pencil skirts and leather shoes, was an invaluable one. As the hub of all things politics and policy, D.C. did not disappoint."
Past Washington Interns
Past Washington Intern profiles are archived at the links below:
This grant honors Robert Matsui, a graduate of UC Berkeley, who provided inspiration to many through his dedicated service in Congress. Matsui served 26 years as a representative for Sacramento and California's Fifth Congressional District.
This notice required by the U.S. Department of Education:
The Robert T. Matsui Center for Politics and Public Service is partially funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education through a Congressionally directed grant award. The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
