UR senior John McAuliff selected as White House intern; leadership studies major works in Office of Communications

John McAuliff, a University of Richmond rising senior from Irvington, N.Y., has been selected for a summer internship at the White House, where he is working in the Office of Communications.

McAuliff's role is to help monitor broadcast news and inform staff about developments around the country and world. He also has the opportunity to serve as White House staff at special events, such as July 4 celebrations and news interviews given by high-ranking administration officials.

The leadership studies major has compiled a record of more than 1,600 hours of community service, while also producing award-winning collegiate journalism. He recently launched a campus magazine and previously served as an editor of Richmond's student newspaper. As a sophomore, he won the Society of Professional Journalists Virginia scholarship as one of two top college journalists in the state. Following a summer 2012 internship at USA Today, he won first place in SPJ's regional and national college journalism competitions for general news writing.

McAuliff is one of some 300 University of Richmond students to receive a University of Richmond summer fellowship. The program offers financial support for internships or summer research projects conducted with a professor. In previous summers, McAuliff worked as a volunteer engineer in Peru for Wind Aid, a non-governmental organization that provides wind turbines to Peruvian communities needing electricity and lighting, and as a constituent services intern for Rep. Nita Lowey in White Plains, N.Y.

He is a 2010 graduate of The Masters School, Dobbs Ferry, N.Y, where he was senior class president.