Support the Washington Semester Program
The Lutheran College Washington Semester (LCWS) is a semester-long program in which students participate in Washington, DC area internships, take classes, and attend special events. LCWS, located in Arlington, VA, is sponsored by the Lutheran College Washington Consortium which is a group of 13 Lutheran-affiliated colleges and universities. The program was established in 1986 by Roanoke College, Gettysburg College and Muhlenberg College as the charter members of the consortium.
Since its founding, LCWS has served over 3000 students with over 350 of those students coming from Roanoke College. Students who have participated in the program report that the experience was a transformational one which gave them the experience and confidence they needed to launch their careers or attend graduate/ professional schools.
Roanoke College has provided support for LCWS students through the Fowler Legacy program. That program provides stipends of $500 - $2500 to qualified students which supplement students’ financial aid and enables them to have sufficient funds to spend a semester in Washington, DC. However, the Fowler program is coming to a close. We estimate that $20,000 annually will be needed to provide the same level of support for LCWS students going forward.
The funds raised in this campaign will go to support a new LCWS grant program named for Dr. Charles William (Bill) Hill, Jr., a retired political science professor at Roanoke College, who served on the LCWS Board of Directors for many years.
Meet our students
Olivia Kitt ’20, a political science major, interned at Sen. Tim Kaine’s office.
Jessica Civetta '20, is a business administration major interning at So Others Might Eat, a nonprofit that helps and supports residents of the nation’s capital experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Elleri Vitwar ’20, a criminal justice major who is interning with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project.
Nolan Webb interning in the Rayburn House Building.
Erin Keating studied Shakespeare at the Smithsonian Castle, in Washington DC, and later ended up getting the Fulbright Scholarship to continue to study Shakespeare abroad in the UK.
Macauley Etheridge '20, while interning at C-SPAN.
Abigail Supplee ’20, an Environmental Studies and political science double-major who interned at the American Public Health Association, Center for Climate Change, Health, and Equity.
Wesley Knowles, interning in Washington, DC.
Claudia Jacobs ’20, met Holocaust survivor, Esther Starobin, while interning at the National Holocaust Museum.
Group of students that experienced the Washington Semester in 2019.
Gaston Ocampo '20, a former Washington Semester student, was just named the Secretary General of IPDAL (Institute for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean), Portugal's leading think and action tank focused on the Western Hemisphere.
Hear from our alumni and professors
Dr. Ed Hasecke - Dean and Executive Director LCWS
Gaston Ocampo ’20
Samuel McKnight ’20
Dr. Todd Peppers - Professor of Public Affairs and LCWS Campus Coordinator
Olivia Kitt '20
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The business administration major was recognized for her insightful analysis and ability to draw connections between complex, multifaceted themes.
Katherine joined LCWS over the summer to help them overhaul their website and complete an extensive redesign.
