A Summer on the Hill

As he prepares to start his Master of Public Administration program this fall, Anil Gordon, a rising third-year student at NC State and Class of 2026 Park Scholar, took time to reflect on a summer spent in the nation’s capital that he hopes will give a major jumpstart to his future career in public service. 

Last fall, Gordon was busy applying to several different summer internships in Washington, D.C., but one, in particular, caught his eye – a program hosted by The Fund for American Studies (TFAS) that allows students to intern in the capitol while also taking several courses at George Mason University. 

Gordon began applying for merit-based scholarships that assist students in attending TFAS’ program, and received aid from one based in North Carolina – the DeJoy-Woś Scholarship, a family foundation based in Greensboro that sends students from North Carolina colleges to the TFAS program each year. 

Last November, Gordon heard the excellent news from TFAS that the DeJoy-Woś Scholarship was sending him to Capitol Hill free of charge. 

“I was ecstatic,” Gordon said. “I knew this was the program that I wanted to do this summer. It gave me free housing and offered me great academic opportunities and also allowed me to further my professional development.” 

Throughout the summer, Gordon took two different courses at George Mason University: an economics course and a public policy internship course. 

He also attended weekly evening lectures featuring experts in the government relations field and public servants such as Mitch Daniels, the former governor of Indiana. 

“It was really just a great experience overall, and I’m extremely grateful to the Wos-Dejoy family for sponsoring this experience for me.” 

Gordon also interned with Penn Quarter Partners, a life sciences consulting firm. 

After completing his master’s program, Gordon hopes to study law to pursue a career in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, or as legal counsel for a House or Senate committee. After his summer spent in D.C., Gordon has a much better idea of which courses within his program will help him achieve those aims. 

“I think, overall, the big thing was that it revealed to me the plethora of opportunities in DC in terms of careers,” Gordon said. “I think I really discovered a passion for public interest law. And it also exposed me to career paths in federal prosecution and litigation. I got to connect with several individuals at several of the law firms that we were able to tour, which has really set me up well.”

Gordon called his entire experience with TFAS’ summer program “transformative.” In addition to the vital experience he gained through his courses and internship, he said he made a lifelong friend in his roommate in D.C. this summer. 

Gordon also looks forward to being part of TFAS’ vast alumni network and said that he’s already made some connections through that. 

“Words can’t express my gratitude for how many doors this internship opened for me,” he said.