Schar School of Policy and Government junior Aidan Jacobs found himself in “a dream I never thought would come true,” he said, when the George Mason University government and international politics student spent the summer working in the West Wing.
Yes, that West Wing. As in, the White House.
In addition to working in an office in the historic Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Jacobs often found himself taking meetings in the hub of official activity as an intern with the Executive Office of the President as part of the prestigious White House Internship Program.
Specifically, he said, “I was a scheduling intern in the Office of Scheduling and Advance for the President, assisting the scheduling team with various components of assembling the President’s daily schedule.”
The summer internship turned into another remarkable opportunity: Jacobs has been traveling the country with the Harris-Walz campaign, assisting with travel details and attending rallies.
“This opportunity resulted directly from my White House experience,” he said of the paid position on the vice president’s campaign staff.
Jacob’s off-campus career illustrates the benefits of the Schar School’s proximity to key institutions in Washington, D.C. As a freshman, newly arrived from his boyhood home on a farm in Richmond, Virginia, Jacobs landed a position in his first semester working on the campaign for U.S. Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA). That experience led to offers to work in the congressman’s district and Capitol Hill offices. He later became a full-time staffer on Connolly’s reelection campaign.
“I immediately fell in love with the legislative process and the greater realm of politics which surrounds the functioning of our government,” Jacobs said. “It was inevitable for me to throw my hat into the ring for the White House Internship Program—and the possibility to serve in the historic Biden-Harris Administration.”
Jacobs could not have foreseen the dramatic events that unfolded around the presidency and the campaigns for the 2024 elections this summer when he submitted his application.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime, and an invaluable supplement to my education [at the Schar School],” he said. “The internship program is truly an incubator for public service talent across the nation, and the opportunity to learn from a broad, diverse, and effective pool of interns and staff is invaluable.”
The White House internship program is designed to ensure the stewardship of individual success during and after the conclusion of the program, Jacobs pointed out. Participants are provided access to a prestigious network of public service leaders, not only within the White House Office and Executive Office of the President, but as well to a broader network of global political and industry leaders.
“I particularly enjoyed a wide range of speakers and professional development opportunities that are tailored to your specific interests and career aspirations,” he said. “I’ve loved gaining access to a community of interns from across the country, from prestigious Ivy’s to local community colleges, who have coalesced in this internship program with a shared mission, goal, and career aspirations.”
As for interning as a George Mason student in general, Jacobs offers some advice.
“Regardless of where you are interning, always take the time connect with your fellow interns,” he said. “Gaining access to the diversity of their various perspectives is almost as important as the various work you are assigned to do.
“These connections can grow and expand across your organization structure, introducing you to various staff and meaningful contacts, and lead to life-long connections that can service you both personally and professionally.”
