Madison Kendrick, Belmont sophomore marketing major and political science minor, is spending her summer kayaking the Potomac River as she interns for Do Good, LLC through The Washington Center. An academic internship program based in D.C., The Washington Center assists students in finding internships in the area through a mutual selection process. After researching the nonprofits interested in bringing her on for the summer, Kendrick said Do Good (DG) was an easy choice.
Working with DG, a company committed to helping nonprofits do good work and connecting “good-doers” with opportunities to contribute, Kendrick said her summer has been filled with more experiences that she imagined. As the marketing intern, Kendrick is responsible for social media content and analytics, website management, event planning and innovative marketing ideas.
Despite the many opportunities she could have chosen for the summer, Kendrick said The Washington Center’s experience stood out the moment she found it. “I knew that I wanted to do something really impactful and out-of-the-box this summer,” Kendrick said. “I felt the Lord pushing me to take a jump and go for it. It also didn’t hurt that the internship is in one of my favorite cities—Washington, D.C.”
Though her internship has contributed to her skill set and expanded her abilities, Kendrick points to the city for her favorite memories. “This has been a dream, but one of the best parts has been living in D.C,” Kendrick said. “This city is so vibrant and full of passionate, intelligent people. Most people think D.C. is politics and that’s it; but it truly is so much more.”
Through the variety of tasks she’s been assigned, Kendrick said she’s coming closer and closer to honing what she hopes to do in the future—working in marketing and managing social media strategy or evening planning. She also highlighted a new found passion, political marketing, an ideal fit for the city she’s called home this summer.
Reflecting on her time in D.C., Kendrick said she owes significant gratitude to Belmont Professor of Political Science Dr. Vaughn May who introduced her to the Center and its opportunities. “Dr. May was always available to answer any questions I had, and I could not be more grateful. I also want to thank Belmont for providing me with this experience and creating such a great platform for me to jump from. Belmont has been everything I dreamed of in a school, and I couldn’t have made a better college decision.”
