Career Trekking in Washington, D.C.

Spring Break 2023

By UNC Asheville

April 3^rd, 2023

Spring break 2023 was full of firsts for a group of 16 UNC Asheville students. Eleven students participating in the Career Center’s Washington, D.C. Career Trek witnessed the nation's capital for the first time, three students endured first-time flights, and all 16 students experienced D.C. job opportunities for the first time. Even the Department of Labor experienced a first, courtesy of UNC Asheville, when the department hosted a university for the first time.

David Earnhardt and Ameilia Heintz-Botz from UNC Asheville’s Career Center coordinated meetings with representatives from the Department of Justice, the Wall Street Journal, the National Security Council and more. Earnhardt, along with career coach Grace Champion and University Advancement team member Michelle Olson supported the students as they traded a spring break getaway to discuss career opportunities.

“This trip exists because it is important for the students to understand what their options are and see themselves in really important places, to have that exposure they wouldn’t normally have in a class. Hopefully, as a result the students see all the options that are available, especially to connect more with UNC Asheville graduates,” said David Earnhardt, associate director for employer relations for the UNC Asheville Career Center. “The students also got to see how many cool things our alumni do at the alumni reception.”

“Whether it was ending up in front of the White House with my roommate on the first night, or networking with former students at the alumni reception, the experiences that I gained from having the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C. this last week were invaluable,” said senior Peter Manelski.

“As a political science major, having the opportunity to explore the inner workings of our nation’s capital was a dream come true! This trip was also instrumental in helping me further refine my career goals by helping me see where I do and don’t want to focus my future efforts.”

UNC Asheville students standing in front of the White House with the Career Center staff.

The trip began with Smithsonian museum exploration, followed by meetings with representatives from graduate schools, businesses and nonprofits, including George Mason University’s Schar School of Government and Policy, Deloitte, Georgetown Law, The Center for Strategic and International Studies, Department of Justice, the Wall Street Journal, the Department of Labor. Students also had a meeting with Congressman Chuck Edwards’ staff, an insider’s tour under Capitol Hill, a meeting with Foreign Policy for America, College to Congress, Council on Foreign Relations, Office of Budget and Management, and a reception with D.C. area alumni.

Staff from the Department of Justice and the Department of Labor even congratulated the students on their basketball team making March Madness.

For senior Quay Whitehurst, the trip was a chance to discover opportunities and careers he’d never imagined before.

“I had no idea the bio defense career path existed. The entire idea behind a biology major with a political science minor was that it would stick out because no one else was doing it,” said Quay Whitehurst, a UNC Asheville senior. “The bio defense program [at George Mason] is my intersection. I'm seriously thinking about pursuing that path now.”

The alumni reception, coordinated by Michelle Olson, featured the senior trial attorney with the Department of Justice in the Civil Rights Division, a lobbyist for Samsung, the chief marketing and communications officer for the American Red Cross, and representatives from the Department of Transportation, NOAA, US Department of State, the National Weather Service as well as lawyers, consultants, accountants, and more.

Students currently working with the campus newspaper, the Blue Banner, were able to meet alumni Nate Conroy ‘98, who created the website that holds its online version, still in use today.

Not only was this the first UNC Asheville D.C. alumni reception in five years, but UNC Asheville also became the first university to bring students to visit the Department of Labor.

“Students usually don’t come to federal buildings. We usually go to them,” said Andrea Taylor-Wilson, from the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management at the Department of Labor. “People across the federal government are retiring, and we need more young people coming in.”

Many students were surprised that the visit to the Department of Labor was their favorite visit of the trip.

“The 20 different agencies that make up the DOL have a lot of different positions for people from a variety of disciplines,” said Aidan Tepfer, a junior political science major at UNC Asheville. “It was the site that felt the most open and inviting. Everyone from the individual agencies was so excited and passionate about their work and wanted to share that passion with us.”

UNC Asheville students made history by being the first group of University students to visit the DOL.

The Department of Labor plans to host more universities after the visit’s success. Many other departments, universities, organizations and think tanks in D.C. were impressed by the Asheville students’ critical, curious, and passionate presence.

“There were so many times when we [the Career Center staff] looked at each other after students asked questions and said ‘home run!’ It was cool to see how critical students were thinking,” said Earnhardt. “Hopefully the sites have a better understanding of who UNC Asheville is when they receive an application, and our students have a stronger chance of being selected for roles.”

Senior Hannah Goldfarb, Senior Hope Sikes, and Junior Nashanti Best on the way to tour Georgetown Law in D.C.

Each opportunity was paired with the reminder that the Career Center had the resources to help the students achieve it.

“Any advice that was given by our hosts, such as building a federal resume or a LinkedIn account, came with the comforting reminder from Grace and David that the Career Center could help,” said Manelski. “I will definitely be making use of that resource in the future!”

Students engaging in discussions with the Council on Foreign Relations, Center for Strategic and International Studies, and Foreign Policy for America.

This trip of “firsts” opened doors the students had not yet considered and brought new-found enthusiasm for their future ahead.

“I really liked that there was so much history in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. You are walking around some of the highest policy advisors in the country,” said Hannah Goldfarb, a senior double major in political science and international studies at UNC Asheville . “I want to work for the State Department, so it was cool to see the building where it was formerly housed and also see all of the opportunities in different parts of the government.”

Students were toured through the Eisenhower Executive Office Building by Travis Stalcup from the Office of Management and Budget the same day that the President’s budget was released to the public.

The tour led them by Kamala Harris’ office, the National Security Council office, the Truman Bowling Alley, and more - all tightly secured locations where phones and laptops had to be kept in lockers outside.

“It's impactful to me realizing that a lot of what we take for granted is the American Dream so many outside of our country dream of—to be safe, to be protected from systemic and personal violence, and to speak their mind without fear of ridicule or persecution. Being here has made me realize I am on the right path and am taking advantage of the opportunities many others have sacrificed for me to have ,” said Alessandra Sanders, a senior philosophy major.

Almost every activity on the trip brought exciting new experiences for the students, even transportation.

“Having my first plane ride means that I'm growing up and doing things on my own. I'm just ready to travel now,” said Nashanti Best, UNC Asheville junior political science major.

Junior Ona Elkins excited for the plane ride to D.C.

“I've had a great time bonding with a lot of people in my department that I didn't know before the trip. It’s been a great mix of learning and fun opportunities that make me laugh,” said Ona Elkins, junior political science major.

“If I had to pick my single biggest takeaway from the Career Trek it would be that there are multiple paths to success and as long as you're moving forward and taking advantage of opportunities it doesn't matter if you're on a path that seems non-normative,” said Tepfer.