Madeline Derango interned at the U.S. Supreme Court as a North Central College junior and now practices law in Chicago.
She is one of 23 NCC students who have spent a semester working in Washington, D.C., through the college's partnership with the Washington Internship Institute (WII) since 2016. The program hit its 10-year mark this fall, according to NCC Linked. Eleven of the 23 participants were first-generation college students.
Students intern four days a week at D.C. organizations spanning government, nonprofits and international affairs. NCC students have landed placements at the Supreme Court, the Institute of World Politics and the American Enterprise Institute.
The partnership replaced an earlier exchange with American University. Jenny Smith, assistant provost for student success and engaged learning at North Central, said the previous arrangement "presented barriers to our students." For fall 2026, the American University exchange costs nearly double what NCC students pay for the WII program, before additional financial aid.
Smith said the WII structure lets NCC keep its own course numbers, processes and fees, which reduces cost and administrative hurdles for students.
A donor fund established by Tom Eimermann, a 1967 NCC graduate, covers out-of-class expenses including flights to and from Washington. WII also offers need-based scholarships and a working student support award.
That financial support shaped alumni outcomes.
Derango, Class of 2021, interned in the Attorneys Admissions Office within the Office of the Clerk at the Supreme Court during her junior year. She majored in history with a minor in political science. She has since earned her law degree from Washington University in St. Louis and works as an associate at a Chicago law firm.
"I felt like I could do whatever I needed to take advantage of those months in D.C. I am really grateful for having had that fund because it made this an accessible opportunity for me," Derango said.
Elie Imani, Class of 2025, came to NCC as an international student from Rwanda, studying political science and Chinese. He is now pursuing a master's in African studies at Yale University and plans to seek a Ph.D. Imani said the D.C. experience was pivotal. "Without me going to D.C., I don't think I would be where I am at," he said.
John Augé, Class of 2022, majored in international business and finance. A first-generation college student, he interned on the American Enterprise Institute's external relations team through WII. Augé has lived in Washington for three years and works as program manager at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
NCC has not announced an application deadline for the next WII cycle. The Washington Internship Institute's website lists program details for prospective applicants.
School week ahead
No District 203, District 204 or NCC education events for the week of Oct. 19 were identified in available sources. Check naperville203.org and ipsd.org for updated calendars.
