Silvia Raithel is photographed in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building of the White House, April 1, 2011.
Photo Credit: White House
Greetings CASA family!
My name is Silvia Raithel, and this semester I have been interning at the White House.
I would like to share with you a little bit about the White House Internship Program and about my experiences as an intern. The White House Internship Program is a public service leadership program. I have been placed in the Office of Presidential Personnel (PPO); this office administers the selection process for Presidential appointees.
The work that I have been doing in this capacity has been extremely interesting and has taught me a lot, but it has only been a small part of the Internship experience. Walking down the halls each day – and working in the different offices – are some of the world’s most successful people. What can be learned simply by observing the way that they react to situations, or simply by having a conversation with them, is invaluable, and can be life-changing.
Also an important part of the Internship experience, is public service. Each White House Intern gets assigned a public service project, and some of us do additional volunteering on top of that. During my time here, I have sorted food at a food bank, volunteered at a soup kitchen, tutored high school students, and spent my Saturday working with children on developing iphone apps. These experiences have made me a more empathetic, caring, and creative person, and have thus contributed greatly to my development as a person.
Having been here in Washington D.C. for several months now, I can say that it has been an honor to play a small role in the Obama Administration alongside so many motivated and exceptional people. A year ago today, I would not have wagered to ever find myself here, yet alone so soon. Applying for the White House Internship Program was more of a whim than a part of a plan for me, as I knew that the application process was one of the most selective for internships anywhere. Evidently, even long shots can pan out, however, and I would like to encourage others to take this one as well.
The interns themselves come from all walks of life. Some here, like me, are still working on their undergraduate degrees. Others have completed their graduate work. Many have focused their education on political science or policy. But others have a background in various sciences, medicine, mathematics, or other fields in the liberal arts. We represent most geographic areas in the United States, and a wide variety of ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
If you are passionate about anything, then I would say to you that you have nothing to lose by applying to be a White House Intern. If, as a CASA, you have advocated for a child who has an ambition to make a change in the world, and he or she has now graduated from high school, then I would ask you to say the same thing to them. This Administration – and this internship – is a great place to begin changing the world by learning how it can be done. The application for the White House Internship Program can be found online at Whithouse.gov/internship.
