Wouldn’t trade this experience for the world

It's been a hectic last couple of weeks in DC and at Coalition for Juvenile Justice. Last week was our 2018 National Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) Conference in Baltimore. I've been to a few different conferences in my college career, but I was never behind the scenes for them.

It's a ridiculous amount of planning and coordination. Making name tags, registering attendees, putting together packets, confirming with speakers is just the short list of things we did in preparation.

The conference lasted three days, and we had over 300 attendees from 45 different states and territories throughout the week. I had the unique honor of getting to run around the plenary session with a microphone during the "Question and Answer" time. This was probably my favorite part, because it was a very visible position.

The conference was exhausting but worth every second. I got to wine and dine with industry professionals, sit in a few breakout sessions and learn about juvenile justice successes across the country. I got to meet keynote speaker Cara Drinan, who wrote an incredible book about youth incarceration.

Now, for outside of work activities, the list goes on. I took a bus and train home for Thanksgiving to celebrate with my family, went to a Washington Post live chat about criminal justice reform, went axe throwing with my boss and coworkers (an amazing stress relief, I definitely recommend), went to a sports bar, walked around Georgetown twice, got brunch (more than once), ate incredible macaroons, went to happy hour, watched a beautiful sunset in NoMa, celebrated Dia de los Muertos at the National Portrait Gallery, met up with friends from Bloomsburg, went to global festival at TWC, and ate an embarrassing amount of gyros and teriyaki chicken from food trucks near my office.

All in all, this experience has changed my life. I found direction, and I found my passion working with youth justice reform and helping provide equitable outcomes for at-risk youth.

I wouldn’t trade this experience for the world and would extend my stay here indefinitely if I could. I have met so many wonderful people from all around the country and world, and I hope I will get to see them again in the near future. It's been an incredible few months down in our nation’s capital, but it’s time to come home and finish up my four years at Bloomsburg then graduate in May.

Thank you so much to The Washington Center, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, and Bloomsburg University for bringing me to this point. Go Huskies!!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

I might be biased, but ...

Hey everybody,

Three weeks ago was the H Street Festival, which was postponed from September because of Hurricane Florence. It spans several blocks with live music, food tents and trucks, and other vendors. It gave me just a small taste of the Bloomsburg Fair, which I sadly was not able to make it home for. I tried Jamaican jerk chicken for the first time (which was incredibly spicy but absolutely delicious) and watched this cool African band Chieck Hamala Diabate.

The weekend after I went to a Washington Wizards game at the Capital One Arena. It was my first NBA game, and I loved every second of it. We were in the nosebleed seats at the very top section, but it was still a great time anyway. The game was competitive to the last second, but the Wizards lost. We’re going to see them again this weekend when they play Oklahoma City Thunder!

This past weekend was Global Festival at TWC. It’s an event that gives interns in the program the opportunity to cook some of their food from home, and then a talent show to showcase their country. I believe there are over 40 different countries represented this semester from several different regions of the world.

The hardest part about making international friends is how far away they are when the program ends, but it gives you an excuse to make travel plans.

Brunch is a huge thing in D.C. Most restaurants will typically do a two-hour bottomless brunch that includes brunch food, mimosas, and Bloody Mary's. The place we went to is called Bar Charley’s, and I got to see some fellow BU alum living in D.C. and Philly. We went to a Latin dance club in Northwest, and I must have danced for three hours. My legs are actually sore.

I might be biased, but D.C. is the best city in the world. I love the accessibility to Baltimore, Philly, Maryland, and Virginia. My mom, brother, and soon to be sister in law came down to Silver Spring to visit me and grab brunch. Just four stops on the metro, and I was in Maryland. I love how easy it is to get places and see other states with just a quick metro, bus, or Uber ride. If you ever find yourself in downtown Silver Spring, you have to stop at McGinty’s Pub House. Their hash browns were so good.

That’s all for now, it’s finally starting to get chilly down here, so I’m excited to see D.C. in the fall!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

So many learning opportunities

Hey Everyone!

I’m about a month into the job now, and I’m finally starting to get a feel for what the job is like. I got the internship through this program called The Washington Center. It’s sort of like an internship liaison with career counselors to review your resumes and then send it out to internship sites that have partnerships with TWC.

I interviewed with three other sites, got other offers but I ended up going with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. CJJ is a nonprofit that is touchpoint for juvenile justice coordinators in all 50 states. The most pleasant surprise about my job thus far is how many learning opportunities (or field trips as we like to call them) I’ve had so far. I get to sit in on webinars with professionals all over the country presenting their own research.

Just this week I went to a panel of formerly incarcerated women and the struggles they faced trying to break into higher education. The spokesperson of this organization is actually Allison Williams (who you might know from Girls and Get Out) that spoke at the panel I attended. Part of my job is monitoring policy that's proposed on the federal level to see how it impacts youth. I have come to like this part, which is a relief to me because I'm planning on attending graduate school in the fall for my Master’s in Public Administration.

The other part of my job is communications, meaning I put the stuff that I learn in these webinars and panels on CJJ’s Twitter and Instagram. I recently learned how to use Canva to make flyers/infographics/Instagram posts, which might be my favorite part so far. Look at CJJ’s twitter and Instagram to see some of the tweets I wrote and Canva posts I made for our October Youth Justice Action Month 31 facts project!

As for the DMC Conference, DMC stands for Disproportionate Minority Contact. It's one of the focus areas for all 50 states to address issues of why there is a disproportionate number of minority children impacted by the system and ways that we can combat this. My role in the conference planning thus far is creating content to promote it on social media outlets, reaching out to the presenters to finalize their information, making name badges, editing the program, and finally helping to physically set up the conference when the time comes in late November.

Anyway, that’s all for now. This weekend is the H Street Festival (which was rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence). Check back!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

Welcome to the Coalition for Juvenile Justice

Hey Everybody!

The first week of my internship is finally complete. As I said before, my internship will be with the Coalition for Juvenile Justice. It’s a nonprofit organization that advocates for reform in the criminal justice system.

They emphasize on rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and finding alternative options instead of incarceration. My job for the next two weeks is to help prepare for a conference in Texas late next week, and then the DMC Conference in late November.

This Saturday we had the privilege of a White House tour. These tend to be very difficult to get, so it was a pretty exclusive event! We saw the East Room (where receptions, ceremonies, press conferences, weddings, dinners, and concerts are held), Green Room, Blue Room, Red Room, and the State Dining Room.

The halls are filled with portraits of former presidents and first ladies, official china used by presidents, and other artifacts. These pictures are from the East Room and just outside the front door.

It’s been rainy for the past few days here so we haven’t done much other sight seeing besides the White House. Check back for a post about the H Street Festival!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

Keeping up with a fast-paced city

It has been quite the eventful weekend here in our nation’s capital! After orientation events concluded on Friday, some of the other interns and I decided to tackle the metro to find our internship sites. One of the biggest rules in DC is how to use the escalators in the metro. If you are on the right side, you are standing. If you are on the left side, you are walking down as the escalator moves. This is important to remember, because D.C. is a very fast-paced city.

Our internship sites weren’t far from the Washington Monument and the White House, so we decided to do some sightseeing.

I was lucky enough to score two tickets for a tour of the Capitol building and the White House for next week so make sure you check back for pictures of the inside! By the end of this day, we had power walked (again, a very fast paced city) almost 10 miles!

Saturday was another busy day, as we did more sightseeing. We walked to the Library of Congress and the Supreme Court Building, which is only a 15 minute walk from our apartment. It is hard to truly gauge the size of the Supreme Court Building because it is absolutely massive. Pictures do not do it justice (no pun intended), as it stands nearly 92 feet tall, 385 feet long, and 304 feet wide. There is a basketball court on the fifth floor that has been named the “Highest Court in the Land”.

I start my internship on Tuesday, so make sure to see next week’s post about my first week on the job!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

Starting college all over again

Hey everyone! My name is Deanna, and I will be blogging my internship experience in Washington, D.C. for the fall semester. I'm currently a senior at Bloomsburg University with a double major in political science and communication studies.

I got my internship through The Washington Center program. TWC provides classes, professional development seminars, networking opportunities, and internship/career counseling for students all around the country and the world. TWC helped me to find my internship with a nonprofit organization known as The Coalition for Juvenile Justice.

We drove over three and a half hours (about four total with the traffic in Maryland) to get to Washington. In the days leading up to move in day, it really felt like I was starting college all over again.

I was moving almost four hours away where I knew nobody. I knew one other student from BU, who was doing the program too (and coincidentally met a third student from BU who was doing the program as well).

Some of the other interns I met on the first day.
I’m in the middle in the light blue shirt!

I was nervous, but I knew I was about to begin the experience of a lifetime.

The first two days so far have been filled with meeting plenty of other interns as well as orientation events and seminars. I went to a few sessions to teach me how to use the metro to get to my internship site and websites to find free/low cost things to do around the city.

So far I have met people from Texas, Wisconsin, New York, Maine, Iowa, Ohio, and international students from Vietnam and Mexico. The rest of welcome weekend will include some adventuring out into the city.

Stay tuned!

— Deanna Campion, a senior dual political science and communication studies major #ProfessionalU

Students to discuss D.C. experience

The 10 Bloomsburg students who participated in The Washington Center Inaugural Seminar in January will discuss the experiences and what they've learned on Wednesday, March 6, at 6 pm in Andruss Library, Schweiker Room.

The participants are, from left: Mathew Sullivan, Abigael Moser, Jimmy Mowumbi, Tykirra Robinson, Spencer McHugh, Robin Segale, Samantha Smith, LaDeshia Maxwell, Olivia Miller and Matthew Kenny.

Update (Feb. 25)

Students Jimmy Muwombi and Matthew Kenny were quoted in USA Today and  highlighted on C-SPAN (Muwombi at 39:30 and Kenny at 53:10).

Washington, D.C.: A call to service

More than 400 college students from across the country, including 10 Bloomsburg University students, descended on the nation’s capital in January for The Washington Center’s Inauguration Seminar — a two-week program where students and faculty participate in a series of discussions, site visits and guest lectures culminating with public inauguration events and President Obama's swearing-in ceremony. 

Throughout the past week students heard inauguration staff, political leaders and White House news correspondents share personal stories of presidential campaigns, elections and national policy. Historians and renowned professors also hosted interactive discussions on political appointments, congressional confirmations and policy agendas. 

Here, Bloomsburg participant Mathew Sullivan talks about the National Day of Service on Jan. 19.

The theme of the day was certainly “hidden opportunities.” Many students from The Washington Center were able to either meet or see some famous people today who were in town gearing up for the inauguration! It is extremely exciting having the opportunity to be in the capital during this event, you can feel the excitement mounting in the city, awaiting the ceremonies which will take place on Monday. The opportunities today weren’t just hidden, but publicized as well. Today is the National Day of Service. It is a day dedicated by President Obama to be a day that the nation can band together to commit service to one’s community. With all the preparation for the inauguration, as well as the day of service festivities going on, Washington is quite a fun place to be.

The Capitol prepared for President Obama's inauguration.

The day began with a trip to the Newseum, a relatively new institution dedicated to the history and appreciation of the evolution of not only American, but foreign news as well. This museum includes real broadcasting rooms, a piece of the Berlin Wall, and some other modern and historic pieces. In some ways, it is like being in a museum just waking to the Newseum. All the buildings surrounding the mall are either museums or historic/important in their own respect. Walking through judiciary square and appreciating the architecture, and memorial to law enforcement officers which have died in the line of duty was really amazing. The grandeur of the courthouses is an outward presentation of their symbolic nature. One could spend hours just wandering the city streets and marvelling at this city. 

A trip to the botanical gardens located to the south of The Capitol is a break from the expected sites and views of Washington. Being in a comparatively small building, the glass roof and architecture are quite attractive amongst the slew of marble-white buildings that surround the mall. Inside, Washington has arranged an amazing collection of plants from all around the world. From desert plants, Hawaiian plants, and even a section on medicinal plants, this diverse array of plant-life is quite impressive. The building is like a greenhouse of course, but it is still quite astonishing how the botanists are able to preserve these plants so perfectly, especially when it is winter outside the walls of this giant plant observatory. This place certainly played a calming role, in comparison to the hustle and bustle of the preparations for the Inauguration as well as the National Day of Service activities that were happening throughout the city. 

Registering for the National Day of Service was as easy as filling out a form on your phone and receiving an email. Once you received the email, all you had to do was show that to the workers at the tent and you were admitted. Inside, there were thousands upon thousands of people. It was truly amazing that this many people wanted to show up to see how they could help in one way or another. There was a speech by Lieutenant Colonel Tammy Colonel of the Illinois National Guard, who was injured in the Middle East, losing both her legs. She now serves as the first asian-american congress woman from Illinois. Her words were truly inspiring, she gave thanks to Martin Luther King Jr, because if it wasn’t for his fight during the civil rights movement, she herself would not be able to serve in the House of Representatives given her race. She also continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel despite her injuries, her story and continued motivation show her love for her country, it was amazing to see someone with that much dedication. 

Throughout the events at the National Day of Service, there were different stations depending on what time of service you might be interested in. There was a station for Economic Development, Health, Faith, Veterans, Environment, etc. etc. It was amazing to see how motivated people were about all these issues, not only the people attending the event, but the people working the stands as well. They were extremely eager to share their organizations story and get people involved to help out. One of the largest stands was for the American Legion, where people from all across the country were writing letters to our veterans. A woman from Telemundo was interviewing people in Spanish, I was one of the people she interviewed. This showed the great amount of participation from hispanic-americans as well, and how an event like this is important to report for people of different countries as well. 

A visit to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum came next. This museum offered an amazing collection of artifacts displaying human progression throughout history in the subject of air and space travel. An entire section of the museum is dedicated to the Wright Brothers. This is rightfully so, since it was with the innovation of these brothers that a whole new way of travel was born. Other interesting parts of the museum included the Lockheed Martin Imax Theatre, and the amazing collection of airplanes they had hanging from the ceiling. This museum was a testament to human ingenuity. The day’s events were truly full of “hidden opportunities”, many students were able to see Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. Many other students were able to participate in one way or another at the Day of National Service. Americorp did an amazing job of pulling the day’s events on altogether.