11 May 2011
US internship beckons for Cathy
A University of Dundee student will spend the summer working in Washington D.C. after winning a place on a programme which has, in the past, provided interns for Barack Obama.
Cathy Devlin (22) of County Down in Northern Ireland is preparing for an exciting summer in the US after successfully applying to the Washington Ireland Program (WIP). Cathy, who has just completed the third year of her Law degree at the University, was one of 26 students from Ireland and Northern Ireland selected for the 2011 WIP cohort, beating off competition from more than 300 other applicants.
WIP is a cross-community charity which offers young people from both sides of the Irish border the opportunity to live and work in Washington, while completing leadership training and public service projects. WIP awards prestigious two-month internships with political groups, government agencies, entrepreneurial businesses and non-profit organisations.
Previous WIP interns have worked with Senator Obama, as he was then, as well as other US political heavyweights such as Hilary Clinton and John McCain. Others have found themselves in other offices on Capitol Hill or working with the World Bank and CNN.
Cathy will be assigned her internship next week and will travel to the States in early June . She said she was delighted to be joining this unique network and to have the opportunity to build her skills in such a vibrant and exciting environment.
'I am really excited to have been chosen for a place on the Program,' she said. 'Working in Washington is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and I’m fortunate to be going with an amazing group of young people.
'I plan to complete my professional legal qualifications first, but politics is an area I would like to get into eventually so the chance to work in Washington is a fantastic one for me.'
Throughout its 17-year history, WIP has built strong links with the political elites in Washington and current US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has spoken in support of the initiative, saying, “Many of WIP’s 400 alumni are now emerging as a new generation of leaders committed to peace, stability and prosperity in both Northern Ireland and the Republic.'
Bryan Patten, WIP’s Executive Director, said, 'This year’s class exemplifies the quality of our young people in Ireland and Northern Ireland. All are extremely accomplished, have a track record of community service and have demonstrated their capacity for leading in their communities.
'Their experience on the Washington Ireland Program will provide them with the opportunity to work with those who are leading on a global stage. By building their skills, we believe we can help create a peaceful, stable and prosperous future for Northern Ireland and Ireland.'
More information is available from www.wiprogram.org.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
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University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
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