On April 27, 41 Capital Semester students received graduation certificates during a commencement ceremony held on Capitol Hill. Rep. Lynn A. Westmoreland (Ga.) delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, while Matthew Riehle of the University of Pittsburgh gave the student address.

In his remarks Riehle reflected on his internship at the U.S. Department of Justice as well as his academic experience and the many new friendships he forged during his 15 weeks living, learning and interning in the nation’s capital.

Riehle and his classmates began their TFAS journey on January 11. They earned full-time credit at Georgetown University and interned four days a week at various organizations in the D.C. Metro area. Internship sites included the U.S. Department of Treasury, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, five House and Senate Offices and the Center for Security Policy.

At the ceremony, TFAS presented the American Bakers Association with the Spring 2012 Outstanding Internship Site Award.  “American Bakers Association is more like a family than an office,” said Sarah Murphy, their TFAS intern.

Additionally, TFAS honored Mark A. Schoeff, Jr. (J 89) with the Spring 2012 Outstanding Mentor Award. Schoeff has served as a mentor for many TFAS students over the years. This spring he mentored Capital Semester student Trevor Myers from the University of Florida. Myers said, “Mark gave me great advice about living in D.C., finding the right career and making as many connections as possible. He’s a great guy and mentor, easy to talk to and an inspiration to students like myself.”

Among this spring’s class were four students enrolled in Capital Semester’s political journalism track. These college journalists were placed with some of Washington’s leading news outlets, including WTOP Radio, WJLA-TV ABC 7 and Houston Chronicle.

In addition to their internships, Capital Semester students volunteered at DC Central Kitchen and had private briefings at the State Department, the World Bank, Politico and other departments and organizations throughout the D.C. area. We are very proud of our Capital Semester Spring students and are excited to welcome them to the TFAS alumni family!