Standing Tall for Discovery

“During my sophomore spring semester, Dr. David Bates introduced me to the Lutheran College Washington Semester program, also known as LCWS. I was interested in the program because it allows students to experience both the competitive internship atmosphere and what it is like to live in Washington, D.C.”

“My main career goal following graduation from CUC is to work within the museum industry in either the curatorial, collections, or public education sectors. Aside from my passion for museum work, I was also interested in the chance to live independently and work in a big city since I am a commuter student back at home. These factors influenced my decision to join the LCWS fall 2025 cohort and have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to live, work, and study in the nation’s capital.”

“Over the course of my time as a volunteer scholar with the President Woodrow Wilson House, I was able to build stronger skills through learning collections management, hands-on curation, and exhibit building for their fall opening; planning social media engagement; and networking as a representative of the museum.”

“To put it simply, I had first arrived in D.C. simply thinking that it was a city driven by business and politics with little to no room for community, but my perspective had been changed over the course of the semester as the LCWS field trips allowed me to immerse myself with the rich culture and history of the capital.”

“I believe that my time with the LCWS program has prepared me for my future career and education as it has allowed me to build the foundation of a significant skill set that I will grow in future endeavors. My experience was one that I will always look back on fondly.”