This year marks the 10th anniversary of North Central’s partnership with the Washington Internship Institute (WII).
The Washington term is a domestic study-away in the nation’s capital offered under North Central’s experiential learning opportunities. Since partnering in 2016, this experience has launched the professional careers of 23 Cardinals. Eleven of whom were first-generation college students.
These students have interned with prestigious institutions, including the Supreme Court of the United States, the Institute of World Politics and the American Enterprise Institute. Dr. Jenny Smith, Assistant Provost for Student Success and Engaged Learning, oversees and supports WII’s partnership with the college.
A group of people gathered at the Supreme Court of the United States in Washington D.C. Photo taken by Roselynne Orrala.
“Prior to getting connected to the Washington Internship Institute, we had a partnership with American University. This was kind of more like a college-to-college exchange, but that presented barriers to our students,” Dr. Smith said.
In fact, for fall 2026, the American University Exchange Program costs nearly double the amount that North Central students pay to participate in WII, before additional financial aid.
Dr. Smith explained, with WII, “we still get to keep all the North Central processes, course numbers, and fees. This made it a lot easier and reduced barriers.”
Students also receive additional support through the Eimermann Fund. Dr. Tom Eimermann, ‘67, gifted the fund to support out-of-class expenses for students interning in the nation’s capital. This includes flights to and from Washington, D.C.
WII also offers need-based scholarships as well as a working student support award.
Student success in Washington
Madeline Derango, ‘21, interned in the Attorneys Admissions Office within the Office of the Clerk at the U.S. Supreme Court during the fall semester of her junior year. During her time at NCC, she majored in History with a minor in political science.
When asked about the fund, Derango expressed that it “was huge because it gave [her] the flexibility to do things outside of working.”
“I felt like I could do whatever I needed to take advantage of those months in D.C. I am really grateful for having had that fund because it made this an accessible opportunity for me,” Derango said.
Other NCC alumni, including Elie Imani, ‘25, shared similar sentiments regarding access to opportunity.
“As a first-generation [student], there are things that we used to dream about that sort of seemed impossible. A kid in Africa, in the middle of nowhere in a very tiny country, interning in Washington, D.C., looking at the White House. That is something that almost sounds impossible.”
As an international student from Rwanda, Imani studied Political Science and Chinese. “[D.C.] was an opportunity to really have this triangular understanding of the U.S., China, and Africa,” Imani said.
He is currently pursuing a master’s in African studies at Yale University and is now thinking of pursuing a Ph.D.
“Without me going to D.C., I don’t think I would be where I am at,” Imani said.
Other cardinals used their WII experience to make a career switch. John Augé, ‘22, majored in International Business and Finance and eventually took an interest in a career as a US diplomat or a Foreign Service Officer.
In his quest to find his way to D.C., Augé eventually found himself applying for internships with the support of the WII staff. He ultimately interned at the American Enterprise Institute for its external relations team.
Augé, another first-generation student, said, “The hardest part is being away from family for an extended period of time.”
He has now lived in D.C. for three years as the Program Manager for the Center of Strategic and International Studies as the Program Manager for the Center of Strategic and International Studies.
Derango also expressed that it was “very overwhelming to leave behind everyone you know and start a semester away, even if D.C. is not that long of a flight away from Chicago.”
This was not the only challenge Derango had to overcome during her WII experience.
“There were a few people at my internship, not through the Washington Internship Institute program, but there were a few people who were there who were tough to take and tried to make me feel like I didn’t belong. But you have to remember you are in the same spot as them. You are there for a reason,” Derango said.
Since her time in D.C., Derango has earned her J.D. from Washington University in St. Louis, and is now an associate at a Chicago law firm.
Derango’s parting advice serves as a reminder to current students that the combination of NCC and WII is a rare find.
“Take advantage of all of the opportunities that both WII and North Central provide, because there are very few schools like NCC, and very few programs like WII, that give anyone, from any background, the opportunity to try these things,” Derango said.
