CONWAY, Ark. (July 17, 2013) – Jessica Himes, a junior English and psychology
double major from Lenexa, Kan., applied for summer internships across the country
in hopes of figuring out what she does and does not want to do in her post-Hendrix
life.
"I was not looking for anything glamorous, just something that was appealing
and would add to my college experience," said Himes.
Initially Himes' internship search was independent until she met with a Clinton
Foundation representative at a career fair sponsored by Hendrix's Office of Career
Services.
"I've always been interested in non-profits and political environments, so the
Clinton Foundation caught my eye of course," said Himes, who is now working as a
communications intern with the Clinton Foundation's Little Rock office.
Like most interns, Himes' internship entails a wide variety of activities between
the Clinton Presidential Library and the foundation office, such as assisting with
social media, newsletters, and assorted writing tasks. She has handled events and
exhibit openings and has recently been filming a kids' culinary camp at the museum.
Her internship is the perfect launch pad for the nonprofit world and will help
her navigate decisions about life after graduation, whether that is working in Washington
D.C., graduate programs, law school, campaign work, or another industry entirely.
"Even after only four weeks, I can already tell that I would love to work for
a family like the Clintons," she said. "It's fulfilling to work in the name of
someone who is doing so much good for the world, and the political world always
feels very 'happening' and forward-looking."
Himes believes that this internship is more than just a specific task she might
be doing.
"It is about the people we meet and the experiences we get to have, and if you
are proactive, you can learn and soak up so much from those people and those experiences,"
she said. "I have learned that every small thing, every detail, is important,
and all of it will lead us interns towards figuring out what we want to do."
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts
and sciences education. For the fifth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of
the country's "Up and Coming" liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report.
Hendrix is featured in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's
best 377 colleges, the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools
That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges, Forbes magazine's
annual list of America's Top 650 Colleges, and the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide
to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since
1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.