The internship program is designed with the university’s mission of teaching and learning in mind. The program provides WashU students with the opportunity to gain real world experience in a variety of Public Affairs functions.
Our interns write news releases and announcements for The Record, assist in event planning and promotion, manage media lists, conduct media and market research, assist in brainstorming and planning communication strategy, develop content for websites, assess and organize online content, and design and built websites and print pieces. In addition to being involved in substantive projects, our interns are offered ongoing career development through specialized programming and mentorship throughout the semester.
Here’s what our interns have to say about the program…
“I expected to have many writing and editing tasks which I did have, but I did not expect to be able to create a series from ground up, take pictures and gather interviews that would then be posted to WashU’s social media and write a story that will be the front page feature for Asia Extra.”
“The atmosphere in the office was very welcoming and I loved that we were given projects by different staff, allowing us to learn each person’s role and the type of work we might be more interested in.”
“The most valuable thing about this internship was simply absorbing (and learning how to absorb) the guidance and advice I was given from my various task supervisors and then learning how to apply it to my work and my future.”
Intern Profiles
Sherry Xiao
“Everyone in the Office of Public Affairs had made an effort to involve me as an intern, and I was so thankful for the opportunity. So then it was like, ‘what do I make?’” Designing the logo for the second Presidential Debate 2016 was one of Sherry’s projects during her internship.
If you are interested in becoming a Public Affairs intern, please send an email and resume to Ryan Rhea.