EMU Washington Semester celebrates 50 years with scholarship honoring Dr. Kimberly Schmidt
On Oct. 11, during a homecoming celebration, the EMU Washington Semester program (formerly known as WCSC/WSSY) commemorated its 50th year with a special event held at the campus Student Union. The milestone gathering brought together students, alumni, faculty, and staff to celebrate five decades of experiential learning and community engagement in Washington D.C.
A highlight of the event was the renaming of the Washington Semester’s endowed scholarship in honor of Professor Emerita Kimberly Schmidt, who served as director of the program for 22 years. Dr. Schmidt was recognized for her outstanding leadership, innovative teaching, and commitment to student development throughout her tenure. The scholarship, now named the Dr. Kimberly Schmidt Endowed Scholarship, helps make it possible for all EMU students to access the opportunities available through the Washington Semester.
In presenting this honor, current Washington Semester Director Ryan Good noted Schmidt’s leadership in shepherding the program from a nine-month model to three terms per year to better accommodate shifting student needs and her critical role in moving the program to a new facility in 2005. “Over 22 years, Kim worked tirelessly to find internships for hundreds of students who came through the program during her tenure,” Good said. “She is a wise and authentic mentor, who gave generously of herself to support students as they worked to make sense of the city and themselves.”
“I am humbled and honored to have this important scholarship named for me,” said Schmidt. “This scholarship reflects EMU’s values and highest aspirations for its students. Expanding the Washington Semester’s vision of life-transforming, career-launching internships, community life, urban exploration, reflection, and analysis to first-generation college students is an appropriate expression of EMU’s emphasis on leadership and service.”
Schmidt also reflected on the changes she witnessed in the program over the years. “Almost 30 years ago, when I first started working for EMU, many of the students in the Washington Semester were born into Mennonite families, reflecting the general student body at EMU,” she said. “During my time, I saw significant shifts in student demographics. We went from being a predominantly white Mennonite program to one of true diversity and inclusion—not only in our subject matter and internship placements, but also in our student population.”
By the early 2010s, many Washington Semester students were students of color, including immigrants from Africa and Latin America. “They made a deep impression on me as they explored the legacies and realities of oppression in U.S. history and current culture and made connections to their own life experiences,” Schmidt added.
The endowed scholarship was first established 10 years ago to celebrate the program’s 40th anniversary and to promote inclusion and diversity. “Rising tuition costs made it clear that financial assistance was becoming ever more critical,” Schmidt explained. “The scholarship has grown from supporting one or two students annually to five or six. We hope to continue expanding it to reach more students and offer additional assistance and career-launching opportunities.”
As it has for 50 years, the Washington Semester supports EMU’s ongoing commitment to transformative education, leadership, and service—values that continue to guide the program’s mission in preparing students for meaningful engagement in their communities and professions.
For more information about the EMU Washington Semester, visit emu.edu/washington.
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