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Student heads to US to defend prisoners’ rights

Thursday, 19 June 2008

A YOUNG Glasnevin student will work with an organisation dedicated to defending prisoners’ rights in the USA when she travels to Washington DC this week as part of an Irish-American internship program.
Fiona McCarrick (19) who studies economics, law and politics at DCU, has been chosen to travel to America this summer as part of the program.
The program is designed to give Irish students a rich insight into America’s professional and social culture through a two month internship and an intensive course in leadership and service training, in the heart of Washington DC.
Fiona is one of 26 Irish students who will have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the atmosphere of the imminent US Presidential election.
The program, which is in its 14th year, awards each student a prestigious internship raging from the Library of Congress to the World Bank and promises to provide an exciting summer for all those concerned.
The ultimate aim of the program is to pick young, promising individuals, from the north and south of Ireland, who will use their unique talents in leadership and service to contribute back to their home communities and their country.
Fiona, who is a first year student in DCU, said she was very excited about travelling to Washington as part of the program.
“The opportunities that await us this summer go beyond anything we have ever experienced,” she said.
“The chance to work in the capital of the political world and become immersed in American culture for two months is a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
While in Washington Fiona, will be working with an organisation called The Justice Project that works for prisoner rights in America.
“My interest in criminology makes this the perfect internship for me to be involved with,” she said.
Yet, despite being located in the political capital of America and some would say, the western world, the Executive Director of the Washington/Ireland Program, Megan Farrell, is eager for further diversity in the applicants to the program.
“The program looks for students from all academic backgrounds, not just students studying politics or law. The diversity of the team is what makes the program so unique,” said Ms Farrell.
The program always tries to match team members to their ideal internships.
This summer, in particular, the program has a Presidential tint as it offers internships in the offices of all three front-runners – Democrat Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and Senator John McCain, the Republican Presidential nominee.
Applications for a place on the Washington/Ireland Program reopen in February 2009 and if you would lie to track the progress of the students involved, log on to the program’s website at www.wiprogram.com where they will keep a personal blog account of their experiences.

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