Meet Madison Smith, a rising senior at Washington and Lee University, who has joined Penn Hill Group as an intern this summer. With an interest in poverty studies, Madison is an economics major and education policy minor.

Madison Smith

See our interview with Madison below to learn more about her and what she brings to our office. Welcome, Madison!

What drew you to DC?

I’m excited to be in DC because there are so many changes happening with education at the federal level. I wanted to be in DC to be where the action is.

What do you hope to do or learn during this internship?

During this internship, I hope to learn more about how policy in the education system is changing. I’m specifically interesting in learning more about renewing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) and college affordability.

What are some of your hobbies?

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family and traveling. I also play club volleyball.

How will this internship fit in with your future goals?

In the future, I aspire to work on the Hill and this internship is giving me insight into the policy world. It is also helping me figure out what specific education policies I care about and am interested in.

What interests you most about education?

I see education as a very important platform for all kids, no matter their background, to learn the skills and gain the knowledge they need to be successful. I am also interested in how teaching soft skills is continuing to become a part of our education system.

What did you do last summer?

I spent last summer also working on education issues, but in Vietnam. I worked with teachers and principals, learned more about their education system and what local universities over there are doing to try and fill in different educational gaps.