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For Donnie Stephens \u201918, landing an internship at a prominent think-tank wasn\u2019t his original plan when applying to the Washington Semester program. As a Governance Studies\u00a0research intern at the Brookings Institute, however, Stephens made a big difference.<\/p>\n
\u201cI enjoyed it as it was really different compared to what I was considering,\u201d said Stephens. \u201cI was originally thinking working on a (Congressional) committee such as the Financial Services Committee or at the Treasury. I was looking for something which would blend D.C. with my interest in finance. I thought to myself, \u2018(Brookings) is a great opportunity to explore something completely different than what I had expected for myself.\u2019 I went with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephens worked for two prominent fellows at Brookings, E.J. Dionne and Bill Galston. Dionne, a well-respected journalist, writes a regular op-ed column in the Washington Post. Galston\u2019s work frequently appears in the Wall Street Journal. Stephens\u2019 work not only included reviewing article drafts for fact accuracy and grammar, but also engaging with the authors\u2019 arguments. His Holy Cross education would prove quite useful in these cases, notably in his Economics major.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Economics Professor Olena Staveley-O\u2019Carroll) has been a huge influence on me here at Holy Cross,\u201d said Stephens. \u201cWhat she taught us was how to take numbers and create a narrative out of it, not just to present them, but to string an argument out of it. Data-driven arguments were very important at Brookings. Certainly Bill Galston is a big numbers guy when he writes. Having those exercises to reflect on was very helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Professor Gary DeAngelis, Director of the Washington Semester Program, said that Stephens had a big impact during his semester in the nation\u2019s capital.<\/p>\n
\u201c(Donnie\u2019s) superb research and writing skills made him an invaluable research assistant,\u201d said DeAngelis. \u201cHe took full advantage of an extraordinary opportunity to research and analyze public policy at the Brookings Institute, one of America\u2019s premier think-tanks.\u201d<\/p>\n
Clara Hendrickson, Research Assistant at the Brookings Institute and Stephen\u2019s supervisor, noted his enthusiasm and ability to analyze complex issues.<\/p>\n
\u201cDonnie put his keen analytical skills to work during his time at Brookings,\u201d wrote Hendrickson in an email, \u201cgathering evidence for why voters across the democratic west have been extending their support to populist nativist political parties. Donnie brought a contagious energy and enthusiasm to his work.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stephens was able to explore his primary interest with various financial issues, including a proposed border adjustment tax included in tax reform. After graduation, Stephens has looked for positions in both policy and finance. He said that the Washington Semester program gave him invaluable insight that\u2019ll stand out in job interviews, whether at a bank or think-tank.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you interview at a bank,\u201d said Stephens, \u201cthey expect you to have internships at other banks. They ask, \u2018Why finance, why not D.C. or politics?\u2019 I say, \u2018I use these policy experiences to broaden my depth of knowledge about the financial industry. I understand broadly how policy impacts the work that you do in this bank.\u2019 I wouldn\u2019t have that breadth of knowledge if it wasn\u2019t for D.C. It\u2019s helping me in very real ways in an industry where you wouldn\u2019t readily think it would.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n