By The Keystone Newspaper The students attended the 2025 seminar through The Washington Center
By Bethany McDonald
From Tuesday, Jan. 7 to Wednesday, Jan. 15, 18 KU students participated in a week-long Presidential Inauguration Academic Seminar via The Washington Center (TWC) in Washington, DC. Students from different universities and majors across the country were chosen to attend the program to learn about issues in policy, media, business and politics in a bipartisan environment.
Photo Credit: Dr. Marco Ehrl
The program consisted of morning seminars from 9 a.m. to 11:50 a.m. held on the ground floor of the TWC building. The seminars welcomed various speakers who presented diverse perspectives on political issues and anticipated changes under the new administration.
“The seminars helped our 18 KU students with majors ranging from political science to communication, to computer science and sociology realize how their skills and knowledge apply to real-world problems,” Kutztown Department of Communication Studies professor Dr. Marco Ehrl said.
Speakers at the seminar included former chairman Michael Steele who discussed his post-election reflection and the presidential transition ahead. Journalist Amy Walter discussed her swing-state analysis post-election. CNN reporter Wolf Blitzer shared his journey into journalism and offered insights into the realities of the profession.
“As a Communication Professor with a focus on International Media, I was thrilled to witness this real-world demonstration of how platforms are changing media diets and giving Gen Z a seat at the table,” Dr. Ehrl said.
Dr. Ehrl facilitated KU students throughout the week, leading small group post-seminar discussions and accompanying students on daily site visits throughout DC. Site visits included a tour of the US Capitol, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, the American Trucking Association and the US-Asia Institute. Students had the option to attend the public viewing of former President James Carter as he lay in state in the US Capitol Rotunda.
Dr. Ehrl expressed the highlight of his week was watching KU students develop an eagerness to connect with professionals and an ambition for personal and professional growth
“This is why I love leading these programs for KU. Students start to develop a professional focus for their career aspirations,” Dr. Ehrl said.
KU awarded fully funded scholarships to a limited number of students who applied for the one-week seminar during the Fall 2024 semester. The scholarship included the program and housing fee, valued at $2,395. The scholarship was 50% funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with KU covering the rest.
If interested in developing professionally via TWC, summer internships are offered at multiple companies, non-profits, and government agencies in Washington D.C. Internship opportunities are available for all majors, ranging from political science and government to psychology.