From Westhampton to Washington: Sydney Freeman, '17

Sydney Freeman, ’17, spent the spring semester of her sophomore year in the White House. Freeman used the Office of Alumni and Career Services (OACS) to help her gain admission into the highly selective White House Internship Program.

The White House Internship Program is a full-time internship that is designed to mentor and cultivate today’s young leaders.

“Ever since I was little, I thought the White House was the coolest place in the world,” she said. So, when one of her high school teachers told her about the White House Internship Program, she made it her goal.  

Freeman said that OACS was instrumental in helping her get the internship. Freshman year, Freeman spoke to one of the career advisors and expressed her interest in the program.

“From there,” she said, “they edited every bit of my resume, gave me critical advice for interviewing, and introduced me to other workshops and opportunities that would cultivate my professional development skills.” 

Freeman also attended the Spiders in Consulting Road Trip that is offered through OACS. On this trip, the group visited consulting companies in the Washington, D.C. area. "These events helped to improve my networking skills and ability to perform in a professional environment,” she said.

Freeman’s favorite part about her internship is that her day-to-day schedule is unpredictable.

“In the morning I may be responding to constituent correspondence, doing data entry and other administrative tasks,” she said.  “Then, in the afternoon I might be tasked with finding a letter for the First Lady’s upcoming speech. And then at the end of the day I might get the chance to see the First Lady or other Senior White House staff speak at an event.”

Freeman said that she comes to the White House every day looking forward to the diverse and exciting opportunities.

Written By: Katie Mogul, ’15