Standing in the Tohoku region of Japan, senior Starneshia Wynn felt immense assurance about her decision to study through the High Point University Washington program.
She never doubted it would further her education, but she also never expected it to take her to this foreign land, ravaged by a tsunami, earthquake and nuclear power plant disaster, to rebuild communities.
The university’s commitment to experiential learning has for years taken students on journeys through diverse cultures and global experiences around the world. The recently established High Point University Washington program has added a new destination to that journey — the nation’s capital, where students connect with some of the world’s most important people and issues in one of the world’s most important places.
Pictured above: Christopher Sherman (left) recently completed an internship at the Naval History and Heritage Command through the program, while Madeleine Brown (right) completed her internship at Pan American Health Organization.
Gaining Global Skills
The High Point University Washington Program is an intense semester hosted at The Washington Center. It is packed with professional development opportunities broken down into four pillars: an internship, academic coursework, a civic engagement project and leadership development. Open to all majors, it has so far benefitted students studying psychology, human relations, history, political science, communication and criminal justice.
As a double major in psychology and criminal justice, Wynn’s internship was completed through the Metropolitan Police Department’s disciplinary review branch. While balancing the coursework and internship, she joined a civic engagement project designed to solve social problems in Japan created by the natural disasters. She developed methods to improve the country’s situation and worked alongside Japanese students to find solutions.
“I was drawn to the fact that we were going to create an initiative that had the potential to transform the whole Tohoku region,” said Wynn.
Wynn’s team was selected to travel to Japan in summer 2014 to present the project at the U.S. Embassy and assist with fundraising and publicity efforts. It was an experience that opened her eyes to solving global issues, and one she’ll carry with her throughout her career.
Results Rule
Wynn’s final outcome of the program was gaining experience that far exceeds that of other graduates in her field — the kind of experience that grabs the attention of employers. That’s what happened for 2014 graduate Lauren Coriale, another alumnus of the program. Coriale’s internship in Washington was with Iona Senior Services, a nonprofit that assists community members in aging and living well. Coriale focused on health campaigns during her internship, and the company was so impressed with her work that they have since hired her and are providing graduate school assistance for her.
“I love my career at Iona,” says Coriale. “I owe so much to my mentors at HPU and the The Washington Center for introducing me to this wonderful nonprofit. I am a co-facilitator of a new program we are launching called ‘Mindful Living 101,’ and I am so fortunate to be gaining this experience right out of college.”
Dr. Jana Spain, professor of psychology at HPU, has been at the helm of the program’s development and has seen first-hand the benefits for students involved.
“The students have an important academic experience through this program,” says Spain. “They get exposure to people and places around the world, and bring what they learn back to our campus and community. When they move forward in life, the experience they gain and the products and portfolios they create are used in a variety of ways.”