BYU Washington Seminar

09/15/2021

Come one, come all! We are super excited about our INTERNSHIP INFO SESSIONS.

Thursday, September 16 11 AM - Kennedy Center
Friday, September 17 1 PM - Kennedy Center

We'll have alumni answering questions, light refreshments, and TONS of good info on both the Washington Seminar and Utah State Legislature programs.

Share with your friends and come by our office for a candy bar! We are excited to get going on our 2021 - 2022 internship year!

08/10/2020

⭐Hello All,⭐

BYU’s Office of Experiential Learning and Internships next session of their State Department series is on Thursday the 13th!! See the information below to find out how you can join:

* Topic: Paid School, Pain Internships and Guaranteed Job with the State Department upon Graduation

* Presenter: Scott Smith – Diplomat in Residence – Rocky Mountain Region

* When: Aug 13, 2020 11:00 AM Mountain Time (US and Canada)
* Register in advance for this meeting at: https://byu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwpfu6qrDorGtN79OZlZelqE0LaNHzukdVF

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Areas being covered include:
* The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program offers graduate fellowships to outstanding college seniors and graduates who want to join the Foreign Service. These fellowships help finance two-year graduate programs, provide paid internships, and facilitate entry into the Foreign Service. The program also accepts 15-20 undergraduates to participate in the six-week Summer Enrichment Program that prepares student for careers in international affairs. Both programs seek applicants with a strong academic background, a commitment to service, and an interest in making a difference in the world. For more information, visit rangelprogram.org.
* The Thomas R. Pickering Undergraduate and Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships seek to attract outstanding students from all ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds who have an interest in pursuing a Foreign Service career. The Fellowship includes funding toward tuition, room, and board during the senior year of college and the first year of graduate study, or for two years of graduate study. Fellows are provided two internships with the U.S. Department of State: one in Washington, D.C. and one at a U.S. Embassy abroad. For more information, visit pickeringfellowship.org/.
* The Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship provides funding for two years of IT undergraduate or graduate school, up to $37,500/year, plus two paid internships in exchange for a 5-year commitment to serve as a Foreign Service IT specialist. Learn more through The Washington Center.

07/30/2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Seminar is being conducted remotely during the Fall 2020 semester. The Barlow Center in Washington, D.C, is closed and will remain so until at least January 2021. Students should be aware that whether or not the Barlow Center will reopen for the 2021 Winter semester depends on the status of the COVID-19 virus in the Washington, D.C. area by the end of 2020. Those wishing to participate on Washington Seminar during the 2021 Winter or Spring-Summer semesters should stay in close contact with our staff about any developments that may affect the program during those semesters.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions.

07/17/2020

Due to COVID-19, BYU will not be hosting an in-person major fair this fall. Instead, students are encouraged to explore majors through the University Advisement Center's website! https://universityadvisement.byu.edu/major-exploration

Washington Seminar welcomes all majors to participate. Over the years we have loved seeing what opportunities are created for students from different backgrounds.

07/10/2020

Here is another great webinar to tune into if you are interested from NYU DC!😊 Titled, "Women in Leadership: How Through Crisis and Uprising Women Stand Tall," this webinar will take place over Zoom on Thursday, July 16th at 1:00 PM EST. The discussion will focus on the importance of women and of women of color in leadership, and what the future holds for all women leaders nationwide and globally. To sign up, copy and past this link in you browser: https://nyu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_DJp5HWsiRIiRYrkYeSJUAQ

07/07/2020

The State Department Workshop Series put on by Career Services continues this month on Thursday, July 9th at 11:00 am MST!!
Guest speakers for the July State Department Zoom session include:

Jay Williams - a University of Utah alumnus who works as a Security Technical Specialist.
Jason Penrod - a Diplomatic Security Special Agent.
They will be the two "guests" that Scott will interview on the Zoom call.
Cassius Gray does recruitment for DS and he will also join, but will not have a primary speaking role.

Additionally, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security has four different Foreign Service positions (Security Technical Specialist, Diplomatic Courier, Special Agent, and Security Engineering Officer) that we will touch on during the session.

Follow this Zoom link to join the meeting and learn more about opportunities at the State Department:

Welcome! You are invited to join a meeting: State Dept Series: Diplomatic Security. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the meeting.

07/06/2020

Have you been interested in interning with a congressional office but not sure about going to Washington D.C.? Representative Ben McAdams' office is just one of many that have opportunities for both their Washington D.C. and Utah offices!! The internship application for their Utah office is open through the end of the month.

Additional internship opportunities are available in Utah and more information can be found on our office database. If you are interested, please contact us to schedule a time to view our database in office at [email protected].

04/23/2020

Who doesn’t love good food?! DC has its fair share of places to eat and we are here to help you with recommendations! As a , is giving us her top 10 restaurant list to check out while in DC!

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A large part of what made the Washington Seminar so special for me was all the DC food! I have a ton of dietary issues, but DC really helped me to enjoy lots of different kinds of food. It even inspired me to start a food blog, !

1. If I could go back to one place, it would be Das Ethiopian Cuisine. It’s located in Georgetown and is always PACKED. I’ve never tried anything like this, before or since! Get the Beef Tibs.
2. Martin’s Tavern is an experience you can’t miss. Not only is the food top notch, but it’s crawling with history. It’s the oldest family owned restaurant in DC, it’s hosted every president since Harry S. Truman, and it’s where JFK proposed to Jackie! Get the French Onion Soup :)
3. Ok, not technically a restaurant, but Baked and Wired is a MUST. They have the best cupcakes in DC, if not the eastern seaboard. Don’t listen to anyone who says Georgetown Cupcakes is better! Get the Razmanian Devil. But get everything.
4. Everyone will tell you to go to Founding Farmers, and they’re right. It’s an upscale farm-to-table restaurant with a seasonal menu. Get the cornbread, the seven-cheese macaroni, and any lemonade off their menu.
5. Teds Bulletin is an Art Deco, twenties-inspired brunch place. Get anything you want - it’s all good - but definitely get the giant, gourmet pop tarts.
6. Again, not a restaurant, but Ice Cream Jubilee is a special one. The flavors all taste straight out of a garden. My favorites were the Minty Chip, Honey Lemon Lavender, and Basil Goat Cheese (weird, I know, but trust me).
7. We The Pizza is right behind the Capitol Building and probably my favorite DC pizza, especially if the Papa Johns across the street from the Barlow is no longer cutting it for you. No specific recs because literally everything is good.
8. I LOVE Indian Food, and Indigo has everything - sweet, spice, and setting. My favorite dish was the Cashew Tikka Masala, but you can’t go wrong. Also, the naan will take you straight to Nirvana.
9. We went to El Centro by accident, but it was a golden find. My standards for Mexican are pretty high and honestly, their tableside guacamole was one of my favorites I’ve ever had! I love the street tacos. Pricey, but so good.
10. Two words: Churro. S’mores. Boqueria has an entire churro menu. They probably have other stuff that’s good too, but let’s focus on the important stuff here, which is that their churros are stuffed with every good sweet thing imaginable.

03/25/2020

Hey Cougars! We hope you are all doing well! During this time we want you to know that our office is still operating remotely during our normal office hours. The best way to contact us is through our email: [email protected]. Please reach out with any questions, information requests, or to schedule appointments.

Our office staff has access to the internship database. If you need any information feel free to email us and we can help.

03/16/2020

A great reminder from President Nelson! We hope everyone is doing well and is safe.

Our office will continue to be open/available to BYU students. For any questions or information feel free to contact us at [email protected] or (801) 422-2168.

03/02/2020

Anyone that comes to take a look at our internship database this week will get a free candy bar! Come see us in 945 KMBL to get started!

02/28/2020

Intern Spotlight: Bryan Smart

“I am a Political Science Major interning for a member of Congress in the House of Representatives. The Washington Seminar has been an amazing educational and social experience and I am loving every minute of it! There really is no better place to get hands-on, real world political experience than in Washington D.C.”