����Ӱ��

����Ӱ�� students are always completing internships to help shape their studies and their careers, but internships don’t always put students in the center of the political world.

Above: Kevin Weaver ’26 and Aleya Williamson ’25, each completed an internship in Washington D.C.

Internships are a key stepping stone for many college students, offering invaluable hands-on experience and insight into potential career paths. For Kevin Weaver ‘26 and Aleya Williamson ‘25, their internships have taken them into the heart of Washington, D.C., and given them the experience needed to succeed back on campus and beyond.

Kevin Weaver

For Kevin Weaver ‘26, a criminal justice major at ����Ӱ�� and a member of the basketball team, his internship with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) has been a game-changer — both personally and professionally. 

Weaver’s internship has given him an insider’s view of the federal government while providing critical skills that are shaping his career aspirations.

In the first year of his internship, Weaver worked with the DoT’s human resources (HR) department, where he helped with security badging, background checks, and even swearing in executive appointees. 

“I was working directly with people who were appointed by President Joe Biden, interacting with leaders from the Federal Aviation Administration, the Federal Highways Administration, and the Maritime Administration,” Weaver explained. 

These experiences, while tied to HR, gave him a glimpse into the broader operations of the federal government and its interconnectedness across various sectors.

One of Weaver’s most memorable experiences was moderating an event for Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and other senior officials. 

“I was able to meet Secretary Buttigieg and even help set up the event on the day Kamala Harris announced her VP pick,” Weaer recalled. 

Currently, Weaver is applying his criminal justice education more directly by interning as part of the DoT’s security personnel, a role which he will continue next summer. He aids in conducting threat analyses for various facilities and performing security background checks. 

“Now, I’m doing threat and area analysis, helping assess what security measures are necessary for different facilities. It’s given me a real-world look at how the government ensures the safety of its infrastructure,” he shared. 

Weaver’s internship has not only given him a taste of working in the federal government, but it has also broadened his perspective on what his future might hold. 

“It’s funny,” Weaver said, “this experience has made me think more about the kind of impact I want to have. I used to picture myself working in the field as a federal agent or in law enforcement, but now I see the appeal of roles like security analysis or even HR.” 

Aleya Williamson

Aleya Williamson ‘25 is a VWIL cadet and business major with a concentration in accounting. Her internship in the accounting department at the White House put her in the center of the political world — rubbing elbows with some of the nation’s most important political figures and learning first-hand just how enjoyable and critical to federal operations accounting can be.

“Well, it seemed pretty hard not to apply to an internship at the White House,” Williamson recalled. “I’ve lived in Maryland pretty much my whole life, but I never really interacted with D.C., so at the very least I would get to experience the city and see what working and living around the capitol is like.”

Williamson worked out of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB), one of the many buildings that comprise the White House compound. There, she collaborated with White House accountants, budget and financial analysts, and other managers of the executive branch’s finances. 

“I worked with a lot of spreadsheets, of course. Most of the tasks I had were to balance the books — and getting in touch with other departments and agencies whenever they didn’t.”

For Williamson, the work was rewarding:

“It was definitely fun to do real accounting, but there was more to do including a lot of problem solving together with the other two interns. We had plenty of tasks that were given to us that we had to figure out for ourselves. Then, in the process of figuring them out, we made guides and resources for future interns to help them navigate all of these tasks.” 

Of course, working as a White House intern comes with its perks, including a few rare opportunities to interact with the people running the country. Towards the end of her internship, Williamson met both Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden on back-to-back days.

“It was kind of crazy, waiting in the White House in the Indian Treaty Room, and hearing this noise get louder and louder. Before we even put together what it was, Marine One was landing right outside the windows with Joe Biden heading out to meet us.”

While those encounters were meaningful, what Williamson really took with her from the internship was confidence that she is on the right career path for her:

“I learned that taking accounting classes in college is very different from accounting in the real world. Some of my accounting classes made me question whether I was interested in accounting as a career, because you’re learning these difficult principles and having to cover so much information. But the projects I did in my internship made me sure that accounting is definitely what I want to do for a career.”

---

At Mary Baldwin, students work with to find suitable internships and pursue career opportunities for after ����Ӱ��. The McCree Center provides career counseling and guidance, career fairs, and support for students year-round.