WCDS internships lead to career paths
Wakefield Country Day School has always strived to help aim its students. In their final year of high school, each senior is assisted in finding an internship in a field in which they hope to study. In its tenth year, the program has really hit its stride.
Not seeking to find just an arbitrary job for these students, the program works to match each student with an organization or individual specifically suited to help
expand the students’ knowledge and world view. Having found internships with congressmen and ambassadors, judges and titans of business, Ford’s Theatre and the Smithsonian, this year three WCDS students found themselves working on Pavilion USA 2020.
The next Worlds Expo will happen in Dubai in 2020 and the U.S. will be represented with a pavilion showcasing American innovation. WCDS alumni Henry Johnson, a chief architect of Pavilion 2020, hosted three WCDS students this year.
“My senior internship with Pavilion USA 2020 was the best opportunity from my high school career. During the internship I discovered I loved working in international relations. I also enjoyed being in D.C. and now I have a few valuable connections in the city, which I’m sure will be very helpful soon enough,” says Lucy Clark, WCDS ’19.
Monica Marciano, WCDS ‘16, had the opportunity to both serve as a Senate Page for Senator Tim Kaine’s office and intern at the US Trade Representative for Ambassadors Froman and Holleyman while at WCDS.
“Having those internships on my resume definitely helped narrow down my scope of study and were instrumental in both getting into my first-choice college and receiving the University Achievement Scholarship to UVA.
“It also allowed me to again work in Senator Kaine’s office this year and get into the Masters of Public Policy program at the Batten School at UVA. I’m just finishing up my current internship with the Bureau of Conflict and Stabilization Operations at the US Department of State. As an intern, I work with the Western Hemisphere team to address conflict in Venezuela. I’ve learned the importance of consensus building in diplomacy and reinforced my desire to focus on foreign affairs policy, security and human rights.”
Wakefield Country Day School enjoys a 46-year tradition of 100 percent college acceptance for its students. This year WCDS students have earned $1.25 million in Merit Scholarship awards. WCDS leads the way in educational excellence.