F&M Stories

This summer, four Franklin & Marshall College students traveled to Washington D.C., where they worked in Congress or at a federal agency, either remotely or on location.

The Ken Duberstein '65 Public Service Internship Endowment provides F&M students who receive federal government internships in Washington D.C. the financial support they need to afford the expense of living in the nation's capital. The four students were the inaugural recipients; three of them share their thoughts through the videos below.

Senior Ali Husaini is a government major who worked remotely for Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley under the Islamic Scholarship Fund's Congressional Internship Program, which provides scholarships to Muslim students to fund their studies in policy.

"This internship has been an opportunity for me to gain firsthand experience with the legislative process and with policy issues that I care about, from education to health care and civil rights," Husaini said.

Junior Nadezhda Ivanova is majoring in government with a minor in German. She is interested in foreign relations and worked for the Congressional Office for International Leadership.

"This internship is really important to me because Eastern Europe and Central Asia are often put in the background when it comes to international relations," Ivanova said. "My favorite event so far has been with Ukrainian lawyers and judges focused on anti-corruption."

Sophomore Munahil Sultana, a joint studies major and women's, gender and sexuality studies minor, worked on sensitive issues with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Bureau for the Middle East, Religious and Ethnic Minorities Team.

Senior Daniel Robillard, a government major and economics minor, worked in the Capitol Hill office of Connecticut Congressman Jim Himes.

"One of the things I'm enjoying most about this experience is being able to assist with the creation of a brand-new select committee that is tasked with studying and finding solutions to economic disparity," Robillard said.

As a student, Duberstein LL.D '65, P'09, P'12 experienced an impressive career trajectory, from summer intern to White House Chief of Staff for former President Ronald Reagan.

"I can't overemphasize the importance of Franklin & Marshall and that internship," he said. "It helped me develop my love for governing and my commitment to public service, to try to make things a little better for all Americans."