‘Delaware in D.C.’ allows students to explore careers at American University

BY LARISSA KUBITZ
SENIOR REPORTER

EMILY MOORE/THE REVIEW
The 50 allotted spaces were filled within 10 days of when information was distributed last March.

When this year’s fall semester began, 49 students from the Class of 2019 were nowhere to be found in Newark.

This select group of first-year students are participants in a landmark program called “Delaware in D.C.,” and they are studying at American University for the semester.

Christopher Lucier, vice president for enrollment management, said the program is open to first-year students who were waitlisted for the fall with an offer of spring admission. For the fall semester, students in select majors were offered to enroll in the Delaware in D.C. program, which had a capacity of 50 students.

Delaware in D.C. Program Assistant Alicia Fretz said the program gives first-year students admitted to the University of Delaware a unique opportunity to study for the fall semester at American University before attending the Newark campus come the spring.

“I like to think of it as a domestic study ‘abroad’ because they are Blue Hens who are studying in a new place, getting to know a different culture and way of life in D.C. before returning to Delaware after the semester,” Fretz said.

Fretz said students in the program enjoy a modified curriculum that includes two courses designed and taught by University of Delaware faculty, as well as a variety of choice in American University courses selected to correspond with the students’ majors.

Lucier described the program as a focused educational initiative.

“The partnership provides first-year students an opportunity to earn credits that will count toward their UD degree while also gaining outstanding experience through a mentored internship in Washington, D.C.,” Lucier said.

Lucier said the program received an impressive number of applications. The 50 allotted spaces were filled within 10 days of when information was distributed last March. He said there were more than 100 students on the waitlist.

Fretz said the internship opportunities is the most dynamic feature of the program.

“It is not often that a first-semester, first-year college student has the opportunity to get real-world professional experience, not to mention the skills they gained through the internship search and interviewing process,” she said.

Adam Cige, a student enrolled in the Delaware in D.C. program, has found his internship experience to be invaluable. He said most of the students in the program get excited about the career experience, as they are getting real-world experience in a field they are interested in.

Cige currently has an internship with a start-up marketing company. He said his workplace is always an interesting place to be.

“It’s a community workspace, so there’s always something new going on—I’ve seen people on hoverboards, dog running around, virtual reality simulators—I got the coolest internship,” he said.

Though it was new this academic year, Fretz said plans are already being made for the program to continue. She said the outcome of the trial run has been very positive and that the program will become better with feedback from the pioneer students.

Lucier said he is optimistic that the students have benefited from this year’s program.

“I believe they are proud to be Blue Hens and proud to have been the trailblazers, the first cohort of Delaware in D.C.,” Lucier said.

Cige said he was intrigued by the opportunity when he applied, and after discussing it with University of Delaware faculty, he decided to enroll.

He said the program is particularly helpful to students undecided in a career choice, as the program encourages an exploration of professions.

“It’s a group of kids that are open to trying new things,” Cige said.