The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.
Naomi Tamrat only worked two days of her internship at the U.S. Department of Education before the department was shut down, putting her work on indefinite hiatus.
Having spent more than $7,000 on her academic internship program in Washington, D.C., she said two weeks without work translates to a sizable loss of money. She paid for the program using financial aid and money from her parents.
“It seems like I’m paying for nothing, but I hope the experiences after the shutdown ends would make up for it,” Tamrat said.
Tamrat, a fourth-year political science student from UCLA, is one of about 230 college students currently in Washington, D.C., as part of the fall University of California Washington Center internship program.
In the program, undergraduate students from nine UC campuses and a few other schools spend one quarter taking classes while completing an internship at public institutions, ranging from the White House and Congress to non-profit organizations.
Since the government went into a partial shutdown on Oct. 1, an estimated 30 to 40 students in the program have been furloughed – most of them are working with “non-essential” government departments, public museums and institutes such as NASA, said Helen Shapiro, executive director of the UC Washington Center, which organizes the internships.
Students didn’t plan for the shutdown when they applied for the program back in spring quarter, though some of them said they already knew the possibility of a shutdown loomed large as Congress’ October deadline approached, Tarmat said. The partial shutdown occurred on Oct. 1, when Congress members failed to agree on and pass a budget bill.
Rather than graduating at the end of her junior year last spring, Tamrat decided to take her last quarter in Washington, D.C.,, hoping to find acareer path for her future. Tamratwas supposed to intern at the Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights, where she said she intends to work on diversity-related issues in higher education.
Tamrat said she was informed one day before the shutdown that she would have to stay at home if it occurred. Since then, she has only received one email update from her Department of Education supervisors, checking in on her situation and asking her to continue to stay at home until further notice.
Believing the shutdown would be resolved in a few days, Tamrat said she was surprised and disappointed that no resolution has yet been reached.
Fifteen days later, negotiations for a deal to end the crisis are at an impasse. The House of Representatives was scheduled to vote on Tuesday to end the shutdown, but it was postponed.
“As (the partial shutdown) dragged longer, I felt discouraged and angry because I had just started my internship and it was taken away from me so quickly,” Tamrat said.
The UC Washington Center has been organizing improvised activities to keep students occupied, including museum visits to places that are still open and lectures by invited speakers. Students still attend classes to fulfill their program requirements.
“We’re doing everything we can to provide opportunities for students because no one should be penalized for the shutdown,” Shapiro said.
Other students who have been spared from the government furlough said they still feel the effects of the shutdown.
Third-year global studies student Brendan Jackson, another participant in the Washington, D.C., program, comes in to his internship at the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative a few hours a day to check if there is any work to do.
Jackson, a former Daily Bruin news writer, said he was lucky that his internship has continued throughout the shutdown. His supervisors were considered as “essential” staff at the White House.
As the shutdown stretches into its third week, patience is wearing thin among many, Jackson said.
“Basically, people think (the shutdown) is a nuisance,”Jackson said. “We’re tired of waiting and ready to get back to work.”
Correction: Naomi Tamrat spent more than $7,000 on her academic internship in Washington, D.C.