This fall, one Rogers State University student will head to the nation’s capital to hone his professional knowledge and skills with one of the nation’s leading internship programs.
Max West, a public affairs-public administration junior from Claremore, has been selected to participate in the Washington Center Internship Program this fall.
The Washington Center is an independent, nonprofit organization that provides internship programs and academic seminars to college students. West said he learned about the opportunity from roommates Seth Blanton and Edgar Zetina, who both participated in 2015.
At RSU, West is involved in the Student Government Association, the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature and the College Democrats. He said he hopes his internship experience will relate to working in a public defender’s office or as a legal aid attorney.
“I’ve wanted to go to law school since I started my college career; I just wasn’t sure what type of law I wanted to practice,” West said. “I’ve worked part-time at a law firm here that specialized in corporate law, so now I’d love to experience another side of law by interning at a criminal law firm while I’m in D.C.”
West said he plans to build up his professional skills, network with other students and leaders, visit museums, and make the most of his experience. While he expressed excitement at meeting new people and experiencing life in Washington, D. C., he said his long-term goal is to stay in Oklahoma.
“I feel if you’re skilled in something, you need to take those skills where they’re needed,” West said. “If I want to invest myself in Oklahoma, I need to make myself as valuable as I can, and I’m glad RSU has prepared me to that with this internship.”
For more information on The Washington Center Internship Program at RSU visit www.rsu.edu/washington-center.