RELEASED: July 23, 2009

DANVILLE, KY—This web story is the third in a series this summer about students who have found internships through the Centre Internship Plus program. (Click for Part 1 and Part 2.)

Through Career Services, Centre Internship Plus allows students to apply for high-quality internship experiences—some of which are for academic credit—with extra financial support. Students whose internships are approved receive up to $1,500 to help with expenses.

Louisiana native Blanche Hill '11 still can't believe she gets to see the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial on a daily basis this summer: she's taking full advantage of the nation's capital through her Centre Internship Plus with the Federal Judicial Center (FJC), the education and research agency of the United States federal courts.

As a government major, possibly pre-law, Hill couldn't have found a better internship to fit her interests.

"I was looking for three things: I hoped to find connections, direction and fun while experiencing being a temporary employee at the FJC. So far, I'm on my way to successfully achieving these three goals. In addition, I'm really getting to know Washington D.C," Hill says.

Through her Centre Internship Plus, Hill has gotten the opportunity to participate in some of the most important recent political events in on Capitol Hill.

"I got the chance to see part of the Sonia Sotomayor hearings, which was a really good learning experience because it enabled me to get a behind-the-scenes look at how a Supreme Court justice gets confirmed by the Senate," Hill says. "I've also met with trial attorneys, judges and law clerks. I've listened in on conference calls with chief probation officers, seen Supreme Court justices in person and attended a National Institute of Justice conference where I got a chance to hear attorney general Eric Holder speak.

"At the Federal Judicial Center, I'm not only making connections by interacting with intern teams, which consist of undergrad and law students," Hill continues. "I'm also working with expert staff members who are passionate about the educational programs they create. They want to make a difference."

Hill received help from many people at Centre to make her internship possible.

"I learned about this internship from Jillian Kenyon '09, who took the time to guide me through the process of applying and sent in a recommendation for me," Hill explains. "I'm so grateful for the help I received from the Centre Career Services Office in finding this paying internship. Without their help and Centre Internship Plus, I wouldn't have been able to feasibly live in D.C. for a whole summer. I feel very fortunate that I attend a school that values out-of-classroom learning experiences."

Through her Centre Internship Plus, Hill has gotten an inside look at politics in Washington, D.C.

"I've seen things C-SPAN (Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network) doesn't show: the facial expressions and body language of the congressional staffers, attorneys and members of the press," she says. "Because of this work environment, I've been able to get a much better idea of what a profession in the legal field is really like."

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Founded in 1819, Centre College is ranked among the U.S. News top 50 national liberal arts colleges. Consumers Digest ranks Centre No. 1 in educational value among all U.S. liberal arts colleges. Centre alumni, known for their nation-leading loyalty in annual financial support, include two U.S. vice presidents and two Supreme Court justices. For more, visit http://www.centre.edu/web/elevatorspeech/

For news archives go to http://www.centre.edu/web/news/newsarchive.html.