Samia Khan poses in front of the White House.
As a UC Irvine student, one of the most valuable and unique opportunities available to you is the UC Washington, D.C. (UCDC) program. UCDC is an academic internship program that invites students from all UC campuses to earn academic credit and gain work experience while interning and living in Washington, D.C.
UCDC allows students to experience the rich political and cultural heritage of our nation’s capital while still completing their coursework and maintaining their financial aid eligibility. Students who participate in UCDC live in the UC Washington Center alongside other students from all UC campuses, providing an intellectual and social community throughout the quarter. UCDC is open to students of all majors as there are internship opportunities available across a wide variety of fields and industries.
At UC Irvine, UCDC is overseen by the UC Irvine Office of Civic Engagement (OCE), which sends approximately 110 students to Washington, D.C. annually. To encourage student participation, the OCE hosts several information sessions throughout the year to explain the UCDC application process, program costs, and benefits of participating. To encourage students to check out UCDC, UC Irvine student Samia Khan recently sat down with Michelle Mallen, OCE Director, to share her UCDC experience and explain why she recommends the program to all UC Irvine students.
Michelle: Welcome Samia! Thank you for meeting with me today. Can you start us out by introducing yourself?
Samia: Thanks for having me. My name is Samia Khan, and I’m currently a Senior majoring in Criminology, Law and Society. After switching majors my freshman year, I’ve managed to maintain a 3.6 GPA while also committing to other forms of work. For instance, I’ve done an independent study that looked at recidivism rates and taken the first-ever criminology coding class using Stata software—which I pursued further thanks to inspiration from Professor Emily Owens.
I’ve also worked with the Resident Housing Association as a Community Programmer on the Programming Board, and have continued working in housing as a new Community Assistant for American Campus Communities. Last year, I became a board member for the newly created Bangladeshi Student Association.
Michelle: It’s great how involved you are on campus. Is that how you heard about UCDC?
Samia: I actually heard about UCDC during my freshman year. I was on Ring Road and saw so many different booths about different programs offered at UC Irvine. Seeing the opportunity to spend a quarter in Washington, D.C. immediately caught my attention. I went to one of the workshops and learned more about the program, including requirements, experiences, and personal advice from previous students. I also learned that students needed junior standing to apply for UCDC.
I always kept the program in mind because it seemed like such an interesting experience. I wanted to do UCDC because I wanted to learn more about politics and take a UCDC seminar while also gaining a broader perspective as an intern in a completely different environment. I thought learning about politics and policy in the nation’s capital during an election year would be the best path for me, so I applied to participate in UCDC during Spring Quarter 2024.
Michelle: What was the application process like?
Samia: The application process was fairly simple. I knew why I wanted to be a part of the program so answering the essay portion was surprisingly easy. Everything else also felt really straight forward. Revising my resume as part of the application process also really helped me in the long-run too.
Michelle: Part of the UCDC program includes applying and getting hired as an intern. What was the internship search process like?
Samia: I found my internship through the UCDC database. The internship search process was a bit stressful at first, but once I got into the routine of checking for new postings every day and applying quickly, it was easy to get a position I was interested in.
Michelle: Glad to hear it went smoothly. What internship did you end up working and what were your main responsibilities as an intern?
Samia: I worked as a Government Relations Intern at Winning Strategies Washington. My main responsibilities were to transcribe congressional hearings into memos, research rural health programs, complete occasional front desk duties, and attend conferences.
Michelle: Did you feel like your internship was a valuable educational experience?
Samia: Absolutely; my internship was valuable both academically and professionally. My internship taught me a lot about certain policies and how they’re passed within Congress. It also showed me how much of an impact politics has on everything and everyone. There are various issues within the United States that get attention from members of Congress, such as national security, defense, artificial intelligence, and so much more. The projects I was given were based on rural health systems in New Jersey, and through my work, I learned about the effect these programs have on certain areas in the state.
Michelle: Since you did UCDC during the academic year, was it difficult to balance your internship with your studies?
Samia: Surprisingly, it wasn’t as difficult as I imagined. For my internship, I worked 9:00am-5:00pm four days a week and attended class on my one day off. I was able to complete all of my assignments during that day because my class was only from 8:00-10am. Only having to attend class one day a week made it much easier to manage my schedule.
Michelle: What was it like living with other UC students in the UC Washington Center?
Samia: I loved living with other students in the UC Washington Center! I got the opportunity to meet and make some really amazing friends, a lot of whom I still talk to today! A lot of us were from the same area, and it was nice meeting such an open group of students who shared similar passions and outlooks for the future and our careers. Because we were all from California, adjusting to D.C. was something we all experienced together.
Michelle: What memory stands out the most from your UCDC experience?
Samia: There were so many memories from UCDC that I miss and still reminisce about, but my favorite had to be going on a hike to Rock Creek Park with my friends from the program. It was such a relaxing day, and the way we joked while just taking in the hike felt amazing.
Michelle: Thank you again for sitting down with me today, Samia. I think sharing your first-hand experience will help students see the value in UCDC. This brings us to our last question, would you recommend UCDC to other students?
Samia: I would definitely recommend UCDC to all students. The opportunities in D.C. are limitless and there’s so much room for professional growth, no matter what career you’re aiming for. You will make so many good memories, whether it’s at your internship or with friends. UCDC will help you get out of your comfort zone and experience something new. Getting to travel across the country to the heart of America and live only a few blocks away from the White House is truly unbelievable.
I’m forever grateful for my UCDC experience. Participating in UCDC is one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as an undergraduate, and I think everyone should take advantage of this incredible opportunity.
Inspired by Samia’s story and want to learn more about UCDC? Then visit the UC Irvine UCDC webpage or register for an upcoming UCDC information session. Students can also schedule an appointment with the OCE team or visit the UCDC FAQ page.
Visit the OCE website to learn more about other programs and opportunities.
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