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White House internships are highly competitive: People from across the U.S. apply. Applicants must complete a questionnaire, write an essay and provide letters of recommendation.
Brandon Gosselin didn’t think he would work in the White House this early in his career, but this summer he found himself in the Oval Office.
“I had the opportunity to serve the people, as an intern in one of the most recognizable places on Earth,” Gosselin told VOA Student Union.
The 2017 graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, a private Christian college in Henderson, Tennessee, spent the summer months working in the Office of Presidential Correspondence.
“It was a humbling experience to be interning at the White House. But it’s also a blessing to be walking the halls at one of the most historic places on all of Earth,” the Oklahoma native said.
Staff members in the Office of Presidential Correspondence read, categorize and file letters, email and telephone messages from the public to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump. They draft replies, answer questions, provide copies of presidential statements and proclamations and offer advice to those requesting general assistance from the federal government.
In addition, the White House website says, interns conduct research, attend meetings, write memos and help staff public events.
Gosselin admitted some of it was “typical intern work” — tedious, at times. However, he said serving his country kept him motivated.
“You have the ability to make an impact in this world, and interning at the White House is just a steppingstone to get there,” the young graduate said.
White House internships are highly competitive; people from across the U.S. apply. Applicants must complete a questionnaire, write an essay and provide letters of recommendation.
“Applicants are selected based on their demonstrated commitment to public service, leadership in their community and commitment to the Trump administration,” according to WhiteHouse.org.
They face questions such as “Why are you committed to supporting President Donald J. Trump’s administration?” and “Who is your favorite president, and why?” along with queries about their extracurricular activities, community service experience and character.
The White House selected three groups of interns each year, for the autumn, spring and summer months. This year’s summer interns, the first batch chosen entirely by Trump administration officials, drew attention when they posed for photos with the president at the executive mansion last month.
The young workers’ smiles were sparkling and attractive, but what caught the public eye was their makeup: all but two of the 115 interns were white, and 70 percent of them were male (81 men, 34 women).
Previous groups of White House interns also have been mostly men and mostly white, and sometimes mostly members of elite Ivy League universities, too. But the news media found something “particularly jarring” about the class of Trump interns. The HuffPost blog listed population statistics and other evidence of American diversity and concluded: Those being groomed as the future of our government should look like our country. And they don’t.”
Asked about this year’s candidates, a White House spokesperson told Student Union: “The White House Internship Program seeks to attract applicants of all backgrounds who are interested in serving their country through public service.”
Gosselin, now a veteran intern, had some advice for those seeking to follow his path: “To really set yourself apart, you have to make sure you stand out above everyone else. Be able to tell a story in a way where you can bring out your strengths. You can bring out your accomplishments in high school and especially in college that set you apart.”
Be sure to avoid typographical errors and misspellings, Gosselin cautioned: “There is zero room for error in your entire application. Make sure that everything is clean, crisp and ready to go.”
The Oklahoma native is a summa cum laude graduate of Freed-Hardeman University, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.
“It’s easy to get caught up in this world, since ... you’re chasing after a certain professional career,” Gosselin said. “But it’s important to realize that we all have a purpose in life and that purpose is greater than ourselves, and we have to make a decision not to serve ourselves but to serve our fellow man.”
Applications for entry to the spring 2018 class of White House interns must be received by Sept. 8 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. Successful applicants will start work Jan. 10 and end their assignments April 27.
Those chosen generally will be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate degree program or expect to gain an undergraduate or graduate degree within two years. Veterans of the U.S. armed forces who have high school diplomas may apply. All must be at least 18 years old and have U.S. citizenship.
The official website WhiteHouse.gov notes: “It is essential ... that applicants are dedicated to the ideals and mission of the White House.”
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Former US Congresswoman Liz Cheney Urges Graduates Not to Compromise With the Truth
Former U.S. Congresswoman Liz Cheney implored new college graduates to not compromise when it comes to the truth, excoriating her House Republican colleagues for not doing enough to combat former President Donald Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen.
In a commencement speech at Colorado College, the Wyoming Republican repeated her fierce criticisms of Trump but steered clear of talking about his 2024 reelection campaign or her own political future.
Cheney, who graduated from Colorado College in 1988, recalled being a political science student walking into a campus building where a Bible verse was inscribed above the entrance that read, "Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free."
"After the 2020 election and the attack of January 6th, my fellow Republicans wanted me to lie. They wanted me to say the 2020 election was stolen, the attack of January 6th wasn't a big deal, and Donald Trump wasn't dangerous," Cheney said Sunday in Colorado Springs, connecting her experiences as a student to her work in the U.S. House of Representatives. "I had to choose between lying and losing my position in House leadership."
In three terms in office, Cheney rose to the No. 3 GOP leadership position in the House, a job she lost after voting to impeach Trump for the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol and then not relenting in her criticism of the former president.
Cheney's speech touched on themes similar to those she has promoted since leaving office in January: addressing her work on the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and standing up to the threat she believes Trump poses to democracy. She also encouraged more women to run for office and criticized one of the election-denying attorneys who worked for Trump after the 2020 election for recent remarks about college students voting.
"Cleta Mitchell, an election denier and adviser to former President Trump, told a gathering of Republicans recently that it is crucially important to make sure that college students don't vote," Cheney said. "Those who are trying to unravel the foundations of our republic, who are threatening the rule of law and the sanctity of our elections, know they can't succeed if you vote."
In an audio recording of Mitchell's presentation from a recent Republican National Committee retreat, she warns of polling places on college campuses and the ease of voting as potential problems, The Washington Post reported.
Most students and parents in the audience applauded throughout Cheney's remarks, yet some booed. Some students opposing the choice of Cheney as speaker turned their chairs away from the stage as she spoke.
Cheney's busy speaking schedule and subject matter have fueled speculation about whether she may enter the 2024 GOP presidential primary since she left office. Candidates ranging from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley have calibrated their remarks about Trump, aiming to counter his attacks without alienating the supporters that won him the White House seven years ago.
Though some have offered measured criticisms, no declared or potential challenger has embraced anti-Trump messaging to the same extent as Cheney. She did not reference her plans on Sunday but has previously said she remains undecided about whether she wants to run for president.
Though she would face an uphill battle, Cheney's fierce anti-Trump stance and her role as vice chairwoman of the House committee elevated her platform high enough to call on a national network of donors and Trump critics to support a White House run.
A super PAC organized to support of her candidacy has remained active, including purchasing attack ads on New Hampshire airwaves against Trump this month.
After leaving office and being replaced by a Trump-backed Republican who defeated her in last year's primary, Cheney was appointed to a professorship at the University of Virginia and wrote "Oath and Honor," a memoir scheduled to hit shelves in November.
Two of Cheney's five children as well as her mother are also graduates of the liberal arts college.
Cheney's speaking tour appears to be picking up. She is scheduled to appear Thursday at the Mackinac Policy Conference in Michigan.
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Is It Possible for Vietnamese Universities to Find Ways to Attract American Students to Study Abroad?
Vietnamese students now make up the fifth-largest group of foreign students in the U.S., according to the 2022 Institute of International Education’s (IIE) annual Open Doors report. The report found 20,713 Vietnamese students studied in the U.S. in the 2021-2022 academic year.
But now some Vietnamese universities have recently begun trying to attract U.S. students to study in Vietnam, a goal that is challenging, some education experts told VOA’s Khanh An. (May 2023)
