Experiential Learning Award Opens Doors
January 29, 2026 Written by Chiu-Yin Mak | Courtesy of Nyasha Rutanhira
Empowering political science students through internships, research, and real-world engagement
The Political Science and International Relations (POSCIR) Experiential Learning Award provided critical support that allowed recipient Nyasha Rutanhira to complete a meaningful summer internship.
Rutanhira, a junior majoring in political science, with minors in human development and family science and global studies with language, completed a legislative internship on Capitol Hill with Senator Peter Welch of Vermont. Supported by the POSCIR Experiential Learning Award, she spent the summer working with the senator’s Washington, D.C. staff, gaining firsthand experience in the legislative process.
The POSCIR Experiential Learning Award supports University of Delaware students pursuing hands-on learning opportunities beyond the classroom. The award provides $2,500 stipends to a minimum of two students each year to support internships, academic research, applied research in the public or private sector, and direct engagement with professionals and communities. By reducing financial barriers, the award enables students to gain practical experience that deepens their understanding of the field and strengthens their preparation for future academic and career paths.
Rutanhira’s responsibilities varied throughout the internship and included attending congressional hearings and policy briefings, preparing research notes and policy summaries, assisting constituents through office tours and phone calls, logging constituent correspondence and completing administrative tasks as needed. The experience provided an inside look at the daily operations of a U.S. Senate office and the role staff play in supporting both lawmakers and constituents.
The award was instrumental in making the opportunity accessible. As Rutanhira is not based in Washington, D.C., the stipend helped cover essential living and professional expenses, including daily Metro commuting costs, groceries, airfare, and professional attire.
“The Experiential Learning Award truly made my internship last summer possible,” said Rutanhira.
These resources allowed her to focus fully on the internship without the financial barriers that often accompany opportunities in high-cost locations.
Through the internship, Rutanhira developed key professional skills, particularly in communication, research, and workplace professionalism. One of the most impactful components of her experience was a capstone project in which interns developed a mock bill from start to finish, conducting policy research, drafting written materials, creating social media content, and presenting their proposal to the entire office.
She said, “I also completed a research training through the Library of Congress, which helped me build strong, credible research skills that I continue to use in my coursework at the University of Delaware.”
Over the course of the summer, Rutanhira met with professionals working across a wide range of fields, from federal employees to Peace Corps executives and U.S. senators. Before the internship, she said she was still exploring possible career paths. By the end of the summer, more than 20 informational coffee chats had given her greater clarity about the options available to her and the direction she wants to take in her academic and professional career.
Reflecting on a moment that stood out most, Rutanhira spoke about the significance of working inside the Capitol and the lasting impression it left on her. She recalled the feeling of walking into the Senate office buildings each day and realizing she was entering spaces where decisions are made that directly affect people’s lives. That sense of purpose stayed with her throughout the summer. One experience that particularly resonated was spending an afternoon with her fellow Welch interns exploring behind-the-scenes areas of the Capitol.
“Walking through authorized personnel-only areas and knowing that those same halls had been walked by lawmakers and changemakers before us made the experience feel surreal, and it is something I will never forget,” she said.
Rutanhira encourages eligible students to apply for the POSCIR Experiential Learning Award, emphasizing its role in expanding access to meaningful, hands-on learning opportunities. Through experiences like hers, the award continues to support students as they connect academic study with real-world impact.
