Two students from Bakersfield College will be visiting Washington D.C. this summer, after recently being accepted into the prestigious Kevin McCarthy Internship program. Raquel Vega, the SGA Public Relations Manager, and Clayton Fowler, the President of SGA, were the two students who were accepted into the program.

The Kevin McCarthy Internship program is an eight-week internship in which the students will initially spend two weeks at the 23rd District Office here in Bakersfield, and the remaining six weeks of the internship in Washington D.C. While in D.C., they will be researching legislation, developing public policy, giving tours of the Capitol, and even observing the legislative process firsthand by attending committee meetings, hearings, and a variety of lecture series.

Fowler applied for the internship back in January. He said that the people in charge of the program took his academic, co-curricular, and community involvement into consideration before accepting him into the internship.

“I had my eye on this internship for quite some time, and I wanted to apply when the time seemed right,” he said.

Vega applied in February and also had her academic, co-curricular, and community involvement taken into consideration before she was accepted into the internship. “I knew a few people that had done the internship a few years ago and after hearing their experiences, I wanted to apply,” she said.

When asked how he felt about being accepted into such a prestigious program, Fowler said, “I am very excited. I am someone who loves to study history and government, so it is a great opportunity to work in the governmental process, as well [as] to be in a city as historically rich as Washington D.C.”

Vega is also very excited for her trip to D.C. “I am super excited as well. I have been to Washington D.C. twice before, and I am looking forward to taking advantage of this great opportunity and exploring the beautiful city for the duration I am there,” she said. She is also looking forward to the trip because she and Fowler will be spending the 4th of July in Washington D.C., and is very excited to check that experience off of her “bucket list.”

Any student is welcome to apply for this summer internship as long as they are enrolled in college and have at least a 3.0 grade point average.

It’s preferred that students who apply live in the 23rd District, but it is completely open to all students who meet the minimum requirements. There are fall, winter, and spring internships available as well.

For information on how to apply for the internship, or how to get involved with the BCSGA, contact Raquel Vega at [email protected]