Bittersweet Goodbye – Until Next Time, DC!
by Abby Furman (’23)
From my very first tour of Wake Forest as a junior in high school, I knew I wanted to participate in Wake Washington. I remember hearing about it for the first time and eagerly looking at my mom, saying, “How cool would that be?” It still feels surreal — even after three months in the city, I feel lucky to be here every day. As a Politics and International Affairs major with a minor in Journalism, there is no better place to be than DC.
This semester, I am interning with NP Agency, a progressive PR firm, as a communications intern. My time at NP has gone above and beyond my expectations. I start each day by pulling news clips for the Save Journalism Project (SJP), an organization raising awareness about the existential threat Big Tech poses to journalism. After sending those in, I draft tweets for SJP’s Twitter. Feel free to check out their page if you feel so inclined! My daily news sweep is always fascinating, as the journalism crisis is ever-evolving. My long-term research paper is on the dangers facing journalism, and it was awesome to connect my daily work into my academic career, too. After my morning work for SJP, my day varies. My regular tasks include pitching events to media, researching for clients, transcribing press calls, updating reporter lists, and helping with anything else with which the communications team might need a hand. Learning this skill set has been such a constructive experience, and I know these tools will continue to serve me well beyond NP!
I hope to end up in progressive political communications upon my graduation from Wake Forest in 2023. Working at NP has been hugely rewarding, and my time there has given me new confidence in following this career path. Learning how to adopt different tones, make complicated content digestible, and appeal to a broad base of clientele is genuinely so much fun — and with political comms, I get to do all of this alongside my first academic love (politics, that is)! I’m incredibly grateful for my time with NP and their team. I want to include a special shoutout to Michael Earls, a Wake Politics alum and partner at NP, for being so welcoming and such a resource, even in a virtual work environment!
In addition to my internship, my time in DC has been overwhelmingly positive. I’ve been lucky to form close friendships with other students here this spring, and they inspire me daily. They are driven, passionate, and adventurous. We’ve done lots of exploring throughout the semester, whether on foot, bikes, or scooters. Never before in my life have I bought so many $6 coffees! I kid (kind of), but in all seriousness, DC’s never-ending list of things to do never ceases to amaze me. Now, at the end of April, I have my own list of DC favorites, including the best bagel (Bagels Etc), almond milk chai latte (Emissary), and park to read and journal in (Logan Circle). Having the time to appreciate this city as a resident, not a tourist, has been such a gift. Spending time here makes me so excited for the future, and I’m certain that when I say goodbye in just a few days, it will only be a “see you later.”
It wouldn’t be an appropriate farewell blog without mentioning how incredible the Wake Washington program itself is. The structure of this program fosters individual growth through a rigorous and engaging schedule, with full-time work Monday-Thursday, classes in the evenings on Monday and Wednesday, and Friday programming. At the end of each week, we have events that connect us with various speakers, all of whom have been so receptive and open to questions. As an avid journalism fan, hearing from Shane Harris of the Washington Post, Al Hunt of Bloomberg News, and Indira Lakshmanan of the National Geographic in a small group setting was beyond exciting. In addition to these events, Jennifer has been kind enough to connect me with folks from Wake Forest’s extensive alumni network in DC, who have been friendly and helpful without fail. Additionally, I owe huge thank-yous to Jennifer, Dr. Lee, and Jenna for all of their hard work and enthusiasm. Your time, energy, and patience doesn’t go unnoticed!
There’s no denying that Wake Washington is a life-changing program. It’ll be a bittersweet goodbye, but I’m so glad this is where I landed for my sophomore spring. Until next time, DC!