Internships and Employment

You can check out Lewis & Clark College’s resources at the Career Center for information on internships and career opportunities.

Below are examples of internships that our students have completed along with what they had to say about their experiences:

Madeleine MacWilliamson, Class of 2023 —- DFRLab, Atlantic Council, Virtual (Portland or other location)

“Before interning here, I only wrote academic papers and never went beyond peer editing before submitting a final copy. While completely remote, I was able to collaborate with fellows and editorial staff members to publish a piece I am very proud of! Not only did I publish, but I gained valuable hard and soft skills that will help me with future jobs. I forged bonds with the team at the DFRLab, and was continually reminded that I could always find a home within the staff there. Even though this was an internship at a think tank, I got to be silly still. I linked music and memes in the daily news roundup, and always got a kick during our weekly global Zoom calls. I really felt supported and encouraged by the team, while still being granted independence and trust as an individual. Overall, if you can intern with the DFRLab, I would highly recommend the experience. I do think that I have new pathways and future opportunities available after this internship.” 

Aidan Ringel, Class of 2025 —- Fund for the Public Interest, Portland, OR

“This is a really great opportunity to talk to hundreds of people about our campaign issue and politics. Canvassing is definitely tough and not for everyone but the experience you get in handling rejections, talking to new people, fundraising, understanding grassroots unwired, and having fun coworkers makes this job a great stepping stone for a political career. Because this job is about fundraising as much as you can, there is a strong emphasis on the numbers you bring in. That can be really difficult when you aren’t doing well or don’t like quantitive feedback. Other times when you get $1000+ in donations, you feel absolutely incredible.”

Sylvan Gamble, Class of 2024 —- NorthStar Civic, Portland, OR

“Pros: Very good real world experience and shows what it would be like to work in the nonprofit and/or research fields. I got to work on a project I was interested in that I felt had actual impacts outside of just completing it. Cons: A bit too self-directed, could have used more oversight and guidance. Was also a little disorganized, but granted this is only the 2nd time they’ve done this fellowship.”

Sierra Burton, Class of 2023 —- Planned Parenthood Advocates of Oregon, Virtual (Portland, or other location)

“Absolutely monumental to be working in reproductive advocacy during the year Roe got overturned. It felt very meaningful to work alongside a nonprofit organization that shares the same personal and political values about abortion and bodily autonomy as I do myself. I’ve made super close friends and found vastly educated mentors that have granted me so many opportunities to work alongside politicians and local constituents all over the Portland area. I even got to write my first zine/publication, which i distributed on my personal instagram as well as the planned parenthood advocates of oregon one. After doing so I was informed I produced the highest engagement on a single post the ppao account had had ever.That was super encouraging to know it reached over 300 real lives digitally and I also held a table at Lewis & Clark distributing a physical copy of my zine as well as registration information to Oregon residents at school.” 

Kate Stratton, Class of 2024 —- Vanderwall Immigration, Beaverton, OR

“I felt like my voice really mattered to the attorneys and they gave me a lot of responsibility in researching country conditions for people seeking asylum. I also get to work with clients directly on their declarations for asylum and even sit in on interviews with clients.” 

Massimo Iaccarino, Class of 2024 —- Jensen Strategies, Portland, OR

“I got this job after a previous student who had it graduated. Jensen Strategies is a small business operated by an LC alum, and I’ve had the position nearly a year. The work is standard intern fare, but I genuinely have learned a lot about local political processes.”

Emily Tash, Class of 2021 — Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Portland, OR

“It was a great learning opportunity, the staff were so nice and willing to help, and it was really fun to be part of a campaign during an election year. You learn a lot and they will help you grow. You can also almost always do more because they always want/need more help.”

Avia Kaner-Roth, Class of 2022 — Governer’s Office of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

It gave me a lot of experience in a political office, and a good source of networking within an area I want to go into in the future.”

Nick Gothard, Class of 2021 — Gooditis for Delegate, Northern VA

“This internship offered me a lot of opportunities to experience the energy of a high stakes local campaign. I got the chance to be involved directly with senior staff and do more than just knock doors. The only reason my recommendation [7/10] isn’t higher is because there were significantly higher expectations than reasonable for an unpaid internship.”

Jake Sherer, Class of 2020 — Bain & Co., Minneapolis, MN

I worked with incredibly teams who taught me a ton about business and how to work with clients, which at the end led to me getting an offer to join full time.”

Hannah Posey-Scholl, Class of 2020 — Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), Washington D.C.

“It does involve routine intern work, like running a paper from office to office to be signed, and it’s not always the most intellectually stimulating experience, but if you are interested in experiencing a legislative office, this can be a fantastic experience. I especially recommend the office of Senator Wyden to anyone interested in internet policy or cybersecurity.”