By Ashlyn Beck | Staff Writer
Baylor in Washington is hosting a mixer Wednesday to advertise the program and recognize the students who are participating at its offices this semester.
According to the Baylor in Washington website, the mixer is a yearly event involving alumni, friends and students interning in the nation’s capital. Students who have participated in Baylor in Washington said it has impacted them academically and occupationally and prepared them for the future.
Arlington senior Aubrey Gilliam is a member of the Baylor in Washington Student Advisory Committee.
“Our goal is to make sure that people know about the program and they’re excited to come and join,” Gilliam said.
Events like the mixer help students get connected and start networking early in their careers, Gilliam said. It not only boosts one’s career but also helps them socially in a new environment.
“Mixer events and chances to meet alumni really help you feel connected in a city where you may not know a lot of people,” Gilliam said.
Gilliam said the mixer will allow students to get to know their peers before the semester starts, getting them acclimated to the program, which is open to all majors but provides political science credits.
“The program put me in touch with people who have gone to Baylor, but then from my internship, I got to meet other people from schools … up and down the East Coast,” Gilliam said. “So [it’s] really a way to get your feet wet in the world of D.C.”
Hilton Head Island, S.C., senior Matthew Schreiner said the Baylor in Washington program brought him a lot of opportunities, even though he is not a political science major. Schreiner, who studies economics and philosophy, worked for the Center for Christianity and Public Life.
“I had always been interested in politics, but the people that we talked to were involved in high-level politics but also dealing with real people,” Schreiner said. “Being able to talk to them made me realize that I want to be able to spend time with real people in my career.”
Cape Elizabeth, Maine, senior Josie Sawyer said she was originally a STEM major but participated in the Baylor in Washington program after falling in love with political science and international studies. Sawyer said part of why she had such a good experience in the program was the relationships she had with the other people involved.
“I never had a doubt in my mind that these people were going to take care of me, get me connected, help me get internships and send opportunities my way,” Sawyer said.
Networking is vital for anyone who wants to work on Capitol Hill someday, and Sawyer said the Baylor in Washington program helped her get to know employers in the nation’s capital.
“I really do feel like doing Baylor in Washington instilled a confidence in me to feel comfortable in D.C., and I think it goes back to knowing the Baylor people, being within the Baylor network,” Sawyer said.
