11-September-2008

"There is nothing like an internship that helps you find your passion," Manny Lamarre told The Torch, Wittenberg University's student newspaper, after his summer in B&D; Consulting's Washington Semester Internship Program. Lamarre lived and worked in Washington, D.C., as the program's first participant in 2008.

B&D; Consulting and Wittenberg University collaborated to launch the paid internship program for one full-time, African American student each summer, The Torch reported in its "Wittenberg's New DC Lobbying Internship" story. The internship was first proposed by David Gogel, a 1973 Wittenberg graduate and Vice Chair at B&D; Consulting.

The idea behind the program is to introduce, and in some cases, prepare the selected student for public policy work, according to Ed Hasecke, political science professor at Wittenberg and campus co-coordinator for the internship. "The program seeks to address the fact that lobbying is a sector that faces a hard time bringing in minority students," Hasecke told The Torch.

Lamarre, a senior, completed a lot of research, especially on policies, during his internship. He also worked with B&D; Consulting's education and energy & climate change teams and attended forums and hearings on Capitol Hill, The Torch reported. Outside the office, Lamarre played on the firm's softball team every Thursday on The Mall.

The internship, which includes a $1,000 stipend, is open to students of varying majors, not strictly political science. To qualify, Wittenberg students must have at least a 3.0 GPA and participate in the Lutheran College Washington Semester program.

Click here to read the complete story in The Torch.