Welcome to DC

Hi, my name is Jackie Borman and I am your W&M in DC blogger for the fall semester. I am a government major from Falls Church, VA, interested in education and health policy, and I am greatly enjoying my time in DC and soaking up all that this amazing city has to offer. I am participating in the W&M in DC program with the theme of Working for Social Change: The History and Politics of Social Movements. Each semester has a different theme so no two semesters are ever the same. I applied for the program because I wanted to learn more about social change and see how I could spark my own social change as well. People in the program are interning at a wide variety of places from government to nonprofits. I am lucky enough to be interning at the US Department of Education in the Office of Early Learning. This past week, I even got to hear Secretary Duncan speak at our yearly conference!

We all work on internships during the day and attend class on the weeknights. This semester, our class called Books that Launched Movements and the Movements They Launched is taught by two professors, giving us insights from both the English and Geology departments. Class is always lively and filled with discussion! Metro rides home are filled with laughter and smiles. On Fridays, we hear from guest speakers and visit different organizations, all committed to making social change in one way or another.  This semester has been an incredible experience so far, filled with fascinating speakers and fantastic site visits. I am excited to share my time in DC with you!

– Jackie Borman