ADA, Okla. – Earlier this semester, nine students in the East Central University Department of Politics, Law, Society traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the DC Internship Experience 2026.
The trip was largely supported by the Harris Travel Fund, a fund created by former ECU History professor Dr. James Harris. He desired that ECU students should be able to travel broadly to enrich their educational experiences. Additional funds were added by President Wendell Godwin and the President’s Circle.
Faculty Dr. Christine Pappas, Dr. Jacintha Webster, and Dr. Mohsin Khan accompanied the students. The students are members of Pi Sigma Alpha National Honor Society and have majors in Political Science, Legal Studies, and Water Resource Policy and Management.
“When I hear the students gasp as they walk into the Rotunda at the Capitol, I know the trip is a success,” Pappas said. “I love the little moments like when we are eating authentic Chinese food or riding the subway because that’s when real education takes place.”
Students toured many sites in Washington, D.C., including monuments, the US Capitol, Smithsonian Museums, US Supreme Court, Arlington Cemetery and the Library of Congress. Rep. Tom Cole and Sen. James Lankford also took time to meet with the group and answer questions about the current state of politics.
A session in the World Bank’s GeoLab demonstrated how mapping and data can be used to drive policy and investment around the world. The group also met with the Pakistani Ambassador to the US Rizwan Saeed Sheikh at the Embassy of Pakistan before enjoying an Iftar meal.
Due to ECU’s close connection with Oklahoma Indian Legal Services, the group met with the funder of legal aid in the US, Legal Services Corporation including its director, Ron Flagg. The discussion centered on how to provide legal services to rural areas which is an issue of concern for Oklahoma.
One objective of the trip was to expose ECU students to possible career opportunities. Students were able to meet with ECU alumni who were working in DC, including Diego CiFuentes who was completing an internship with Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute. ECU students talked to many Capitol Hill staffers who offered career advice and provided applications for jobs and internships.
The trip concluded with the Pi Sigma Alpha National Research Conference at American University which featured top research from political science students across the country. ECU Legal Studies student Abigayle Shropshire was selected to present her research at the conference. and Dr. Jacintha Webster, ECU’s Pre-Law Advisor, chaired a panel on how to gain entrance to law school. Dr. Pappas and Dr. Khan also chaired panels at the conference on different topics in political science.
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