Over the years, the program has helped expand the university’s reach in the capital.
Today, a vast network of UGA alumni work in Washington. DeMaria estimates that at least 80 Bulldogs, many program alumni, are involved in activities each year at Delta Hall and beyond. Some come to share their career paths and experiences; others introduce students to people of interest.
At the center of all that activity is DeMaria, who has been a constant in UGA’s activities in Washington. Though not a UGA alumnus (he got his bachelor’s from George Washington University in D.C. and a master’s at Clemson), DeMaria is a walking Rolodex of Georgia connections, and he’s not shy about introducing them to students with shared interests.
For some students, networking opportunities are nearly as important as their internship experiences. Caroline Schneider, who plans to attend law school after she graduates in the spring, found herself ritualistically asking D.C.-area alumni out for coffee.
“I don’t drink coffee,” she admits. “So I’m always asking people to coffee and then not ordering coffee.”
Michael Shinholster AB ’23, who interned for Rep. Buddy Carter, likens networking in Washington to “drinking from a firehose.” He was constantly surprised by the extensive UGA connections in Washington.
“I had someone stop me when I was on my way to work because I was wearing a Georgia sweatshirt,” he says. “He gave me his business card and told me he was from the class of ’97.”
Shinholster has plenty of time to make other connections in Washington. He accepted a position in Carter’s office running the representative’s internship program.
Cano, who took a leap to get to Washington, is also staying in the District post-graduation. His gamble is paying off.
During the spring semester, Cano wrote policy briefs for the American Foreign Policy Council and took advantage of networking opportunities.
Thanks to connections he made with a Delta Hall speaker, Cano earned a fellowship with a program called HillVets. So this fall, he’ll be working on veterans affairs policy in Congress while attending graduate school at American University.
Considering Cano almost didn’t apply for the program, he’s certainly made the most of his experiences.
“I feel like I just can keep building off of this and hopefully achieve something bigger,” he says. “It’s like a whole new deck of cards.”
