This summer, 14 students from three schools have come together to participate in the Washington Community Scholars’ Center (WCSC), an immersive program that combines academic learning, professional development, and community living in the heart of Washington, D.C. These students, who represent 13 majors ranging from social work to environmental science, reflect the breadth and diversity of internship placements available through the WCSC program.
WCSC provides a unique opportunity for students to gain hands-on professional experience in their respective fields through meaningful internships at nonprofit organizations, government agencies, advocacy groups, and other institutions across the city. These internships are carefully matched to each student’s academic background and career interests, offering them practical skills and real-world insight that extend far beyond the classroom.
In addition to their internships, students live together in a residential community that fosters collaboration, personal growth, and mutual support. As they navigate the challenges and opportunities of living in a large and vibrant urban setting, they also engage in reflective seminars and community-building activities designed to deepen their understanding of social justice, civic engagement, and career development.
Through this holistic experience, WCSC not only helps students advance their professional goals but also encourages them to think critically about their roles in society and the impact they can make in their future careers.
Read on to learn more about the Summer 2025 WCSC students and their internship placements.
Kimberly Mojarro Gamino, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is an EMU nursing major and psychology minor interning at Mamatoto Village. At her internship, Kimberly’s main duties include conducting a research project on hospitals, organizing baby pantry rooms, and shadowing a nurse while conducting home visits. Kimberly is hoping to expand her knowledge on lactation by observing lactation consults.
Meredith Atkinson, from Mechanicsville, Virginia, is an EMU political science and psychology major who is interning as a law clerk at dCZ Legal. Through her internship, Meredith is assisting with case research, drafting, and document preparation along with attending court cases and conducting ward visits. Meredith plans to take advantage of every opportunity during her time in D.C. as she’s exposed to so many different people.
Logan Daugherty, from Bradford, Ohio, is a Bluffton University student studying biology and chemistry with a minor in psychology. This summer, Logan is interning at the Bread for the City medical clinic. Logan’s primary role this summer is to assist with the referrals team, help send referrals to doctor’s offices, and schedule patients for appointments. Logan is hoping to gain better skills in communication and working with others, as well as getting a better idea of what it’s like to work in the medical field and what goes on behind the scenes from a patient’s first to their last appointment.
Claire Hurst, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, is a public health and environmental science major at EMU and a recipient of the Climate Cohort Scholarship. This summer, Claire is a climate advocacy intern at National Peace and Justice Ministries of Mennonite Central Committee. Claire has been working on several different projects, which include creating a one-page informational handout for MCC on climate and peace, helping to plan a lobby day in Washington, D.C., leading a workshop about effective communication strategies for talking with senators, putting together a workshop for MennoCon in North Carolina and attending that conference for a few days. Claire is excited to learn more about political activism in D.C. and hopes to develop skills in organizing large groups of people and becoming more comfortable with talking to representatives.
Dibora Mekonnen, from Silver Spring, Maryland, is an EMU student studying political science and social work with a pre-law minor. This summer, Dibora is interning at CASA as a policy researcher. Dibora’s duties include picking up different immigration cases, working closely with historically Black colleges or universities in Maryland to help advocate for marginalized people, and advocating for the passage of bills among state delegates and the House of Representatives. The skills that Dibora hopes to gain are networking with different people and learning how to communicate professionally.
Alessandra Nagarajaan, from Newton, Massachusetts, is a sophomore at Suffolk University in Boston. She is an environmental studies major and one of the recipients of the Climate Cohort Scholarship. This summer, she is an intern with Interfaith Power and Light DMV as a social media and advocacy intern. Her main duties are analyzing the organization’s social media accounts to find ways to boost engagement, running online campaigns for different bills they support, attending lobbying events, and supporting their interfaith coalition. Alessandra believes that her most significant learning experience will be in finding ways to engage local communities in issues that directly impact them and learning how to best address those needs.
Sergio Arteaga Torrez, from Sterling, Virginia, is a rising EMU sophomore studying biology (pre-med track). This summer, he is interning at Community of Hope, where he is working on medical records and referrals, as well as shadowing a doctor. Sergio is also learning about the processes involved in making referrals to hospitals in the area.
Guadalupe Tenorio Ramirez, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is an EMU student majoring in accounting and business administration. This summer, Guadalupe is an intern at the Latin American Youth Center. The projects she is working on include cleaning up outstanding checks, conducting compliance checks of vendors in the System for Award Management (SAM), assembling invoice packets from grantors, and assisting with accounts payable tasks. Guadalupe hopes to gain a deeper understanding of how financial operations function within a real-world organizational setting. She is also learning the importance of accuracy, time management, and collaboration, all of which are essential skills for a successful career in accounting.
Emily Jones, from Mount Vernon, Ohio, is a Bluffton University junior majoring in studio art and pre-art therapy. Emily is a recipient of the Climate Cohort Scholarship and is completing her internship at Earth Conservation Corps where she is designing digital art for flyers, banners, and signs, working with the Birds of Prey Program, and helping with youth media art and habitat restoration. Through her time in D.C., Emily believes that her most significant learning experience will be learning how to expand her opportunities in a work environment.
Isaac Greenleaf, from Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, is an engineering and computer science major at EMU. This summer, Isaac is interning at the Smithsonian Institute’s Office of the Chief Information Officer Service Desk where he helps users with their IT questions and needs. His duties include assigning tickets that come in, working on some of the tickets himself, and troubleshooting various software issues. Isaac also answers the phone and takes calls to assist users. Through this, he is hoping to learn better customer management skills.
Jacqueline Jackson, from Staunton, Virginia, is a nursing student at EMU. This summer, Jackie is interning at Christ House, a nonprofit organization that provides medical services to homeless men in the D.C. area. Through her internship, Jacqueline is practicing her skills in treating wounds and identifying infections. She also believes that her most significant learning experience will be interacting with a health population that she has never worked with before.
Rebekah Copeland, from Harrisonburg, Virginia, is an EMU student studying computer science with a minor in English. This summer, Rebekah is an intern with the Smithsonian Zoo where she is becoming familiar with interfaces between databases, various file types, and webpages. Rebekah is also practicing HTML for webpage design along with formatting across various email platforms.
Damon Morgan, from Anniston, Alabama, is an EMU senior studying digital media and communications. Damon is completing an internship as a videographer/editor at Washington Digital Media. Through his internship, Damon hopes to make connections with professionals in his field while working in an actual digital media studio.
Alexander Belisle, from Newport News, Virginia, is an EMU political science and biology major. Alex is a recipient of the Climate Cohort Scholarship and is working as a publishing intern at Health Affairs on an upcoming issue focused on the impacts of climate change on human health. Through his internship, Alex has researched potential funders for the issue and compiled a list of key issues in the realm of climate change and public health.
Students interested in spending a semester in the nation’s capital should go here for more information or to apply today! Be sure to also check out the WCSC Instagram account to see what our students are up to.
From the programs in hand, it looks like the group had just attended a theater production at GALA Hispanic Theater (“Tivoli Square” was the giveaway). WCSC cultural events enrich student understanding, and in these days of tightening budgets, I’m glad to see that group outings are still part of their summer experience.
This was such a refreshing read! The Summer 2025 WCSC cohort sounds like an incredible experience — real-world exposure like this makes such a difference early in someone’s career.