Mark Lane, a senior at Rogers State University, was recently selected for an internship with the Washington Center, a nationally-recognized internship program that places students with private, public and nonprofit organizations in Washington, D.C.
Lane is a communications major, originally from Fort Smith, Ark. He is a member of the Student Broadcasting Association and hosts a program known as “Free Association” on RSU’s radio station KRSC-FM 91.3. He said he looks forward to putting his broadcast talents to work in his internship, which will be media-related.
“My internship will definitely be in the media, probably something behind the scenes,” Lane said. “It could be with a newspaper, radio, or maybe broadcast production. Any experience I can get will be advantageous because of the manner in which the media is converging.”
The internship will also mark the final semester of Lane’s undergraduate studies. He is scheduled to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in May 2011.
The Washington Center is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides internship programs and academic seminars to college students. The organization arranges 2,000 to 3,000 internship placements annually.
Lane will earn college credit for successfully completing the program. He participated in a competitive process to be selected for the program, which he said puts the achievement in perspective.
“I consider this one of the biggest accomplishments of my 22 years,” he said. “I have gotten over other accolades pretty quickly, but I still can’t believe I get to be a part of the Washington Center program.”
Washington Center internships are comprised of internship placement, an academic course, and the Leadership Forum. All students are enrolled in a particular program according to their area of interest. Each program focuses learning on concepts closely related to students’ intended professional fields. Activities and special programming, such as panels or tours of embassies or businesses, are tailored to the programs’ core learning objectives and areas of study.
“This Washington Center Program provides students with an invaluable opportunity to gain practical experience and begin developing a broad professional network,” said Dr. Carolyn Taylor, RSU assistant professor and Strategic Initiatives Coordinator. “Mark will certainly be well positioned for professional success after he graduates.”
For more information on the program, visit www.rsu.edu/washington-center/ or contact Taylor at [email protected].