Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program
Discover the Nation’s Capital
The Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP) is a “study abroad” program, in which students spend an entire semester interning in serious organizations during the day, taking intensive academic classes at night, and exploring the capital’s rich history on the weekends. It is a rigorous program, but a rewarding one. WHIP gives students the opportunity to put into practice what they learn in the classroom. WHIP is education in action. Students who come on WHIP receive a $4,000 scholarship to offset the cost of living in D.C.
WHIP is open to Hillsdale juniors and seniors of all majors. All WHIP students must have completed Politics 101: The U.S. Constitution prior to leaving for D.C., as well as participated in a one-on-one hour-long meeting with Career Services. This meeting is not to be scheduled until the student has been accepted into WHIP.
Register for Our Next Informational Session
Apply to WHIP
With questions or for more information, please contact Mary Wheeler Undergraduate Program Coordinator.
Internships
Education in Action
WHIP students have the opportunity to intern for the White House, Congressional offices and committees, various think tanks, media and news outlets, national security agencies, museums, lobbying firms, international trade organizations, charter and private schools in the D.C. area, or private sector companies. No matter what the student’s major is, there is an internship opportunity here.
Sample Internships
Classes
Continue Your Education
Students have the chance to engage in both the active and contemplative life on WHIP. In addition to their internships or apprenticeships, WHIP students select two or three academic courses offered at Hillsdale in D.C. Upon approval of a student’s major department, an independent study may also be possible. Examples of this include upper-level German, French, English, Applied Mathematics, and Accounting courses. All WHIP students maintain their full-time status.
Course Descriptions
Living Arrangements
Live With Fellow Students
Students live in either the Hillsdale House (a renovated townhouse on Capitol Hill) or in other College-arranged housing on Capitol Hill. The Hillsdale House is divided into four apartments, each able to house between two and six students. It is within walking distance to Hillsdale in D.C. (less than 5 minutes), the Capitol, Union Station, and various restaurants and shops.
Hillsdale House Photos
Activities
Explore The Area
WHIP students also participate in a variety of activities sponsored by Hillsdale in D.C. Such opportunities include visits to the Civil War battlefield at Gettysburg, where Hillsdale students fought; Philadelphia to see where the Continental Congress met; George Washington’s historic estate at Mount Vernon; a local historic theatre to see a Shakespeare play; and a meeting with a Supreme Court Justice.
D.C. Campus News and Events
Networking
Build Your Network of Friends
WHIP offers undergraduates the opportunity to build their social, professional, and networking skills through the WHIP-Alumni Mentorship Program. Students are paired with Hillsdale alumni in the Washington, D.C. area who are in their aspired career field. They have the chance to meet several times throughout the semester.
The Hub LinkedIn
“WHIP opened the path for me that was the foundation for future success. A brief six-month internship with a one-term United States Senator from Iowa allowed me to build a foundation in Washington, D.C., meet my wife (of 40 years) and be taken under a Senator's wing. Specifically, the Senator's previous successful sales career taught me much.
Had WHIP not occurred, I know I would not have had the momentum to succeed in my business career. I owe much to Hillsdale College and WHIP.”
— Walter "Tripp" Howell, III, '80
“The WHIP program has been one of the greatest blessings of my time at
Hillsdale. Interning in D.C. for a semester has helped me feel more prepared for life after graduation. I'm also thankful for the friends and mentors I met through Hillsdale and my internship at Alliance Defending Freedom.
I wish I could repeat WHIP!”
— Abigail Snyder, ‘23
“WHIP allowed me to experience the city that I would later call home, surrounded by students, alumni, faculty, and staff, who cared about my professional, as well as intellectual formation. I also learned what it means to apply the classical principles I was learning on campus to contemporary issues in the nation’s capital, ultimately leading me to pursue the career of my dreams as a Foreign Service Officer!
Thank you WHIP!”
— Victoria Watson, ‘18
“I taught the first WHIP class. This was part of an organized process to come up with projects that the conservative movement should be involved in for the future but were not at that time. One of these projects was to bring interns to Washington, starting with Hillsdale. My book and lectures stressed the importance of Congress as the first branch and the need to understand its primary role; and how students and the public could help to restore it. The project was the start of several other now major institutions, but none more important than the Hillsdale arrival in Washington to help reclaim American Constitutional government.”
— Don Devine, First Hillsdale in D.C. Professor
“WHIP was fundamental to my decision to work in D.C. It helpfully informed and encouraged my early career in ways I wouldn't have experienced only attending the main campus. I still utilize the connections I made during that semester and it's been extremely encouraging to make new ones with the recent WHIP interns.”
— Peter O’Rourke, ‘18
“WHIP was, much to my surprise, my favorite semester of college. From interning with the creative department that hosted Easter Sunrise at the Lincoln Memorial, to attending the NBC White House correspondents’ dinner, “Nerd Prom,” and experiencing some of the best courses I've ever taken—I am so thankful that I spent a semester in D.C.”
— Gabrielle Bessette, ‘23
“WHIP allowed me to gain serious, professional experience all while continuing my Hillsdale education. The opportunity to explore D.C. with friends, to learn from exceptional professors, and to gain a sense for life after college was wonderful.”
— Aidan Wheeler, ‘21
“WHIP gave life to Virtus Tentamine Gaudet. We all believe knowledge is better than ignorance, kindness better than selfishness, and excellence better than indifference, but on WHIP, we had to decide whether to act on those beliefs. Grace, civility, self-sacrifice are exemplified by the Hillsdale in D.C. team and my fellow WHIP students; I now appreciate how intentional and courageous we have to be to live well. I would not have had a Hillsdale education without WHIP.”
— Abigail Elwell, ‘23
“The English 201 class with Dr. Mehan gave me a deep appreciation for Shakespeare and lifelong learning that inspired a select group of my WHIP alumni friends to found a Shakespeare book club. Additionally, it was great to experience the big city with my close friends. We decided to all move back to the area after graduation.”
— Ryan Goff, ‘21
“I went to Hillsdale knowing I wanted to participate in the WHIP program as a non-negotiable and I am so glad I did. The relationships you build both professionally and personally during this semester will last a lifetime. I am in my current role thanks to someone I met through Hillsdale and some of the bridesmaids in my wedding are friends I made on WHIP, people I would not have connected with otherwise.”
— Gwendolyn Hodges, ‘17
“WHIP was an amazing opportunity to take advantage of at Hillsdale. I got to explore the nation’s capital with my good friends, and I have decided to move back to D.C. as a result of my time on WHIP.”
— Dennis Fassett, ‘21
“WHIP encapsulated Hillsdale's motto of virtus tentamine gaudet. There are a million things I can say to recommend this program, but here is my advice right now: No matter your major, consider and pray about going on WHIP. Then go where God leads. Practice that enough with this and other things in life and you may just acquire some of that 'prudence' you will hear Dr. Spalding talk so much about if you become a WHIPster.”
— Natalie Spaulding, ‘24
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