Hobart and William Smith Colleges

7 February 2025 Day on the Hill

Students explored a multitude of careers in Washington, D.C. during a three-day program. 

Over winter break, students spent three days getting an inside look of what it’s like working on Capitol Hill from dozens of alumni and friends of HWS. The annual Day on the Hill program allowed students to network with alumni, engage with panels and take tours of prominent governmental and nonprofit business headquarters ranging from the Environmental Protection Agency to the Peace Corps. 

President Mark D. Gearan joined the program to moderate a bipartisan conversation between Congressman Jim McGovern (D-MA), who has served as chairman of the House Rules Committee since 2018, and former Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen ’69, L.H.D.’01 (R-NJ), who represented New Jersey’s 11th District from 1995-2019. The Congressmen discussed how their work has changed with the rise of 24-hour news cycles and social media, and explored the significance of encountering diverse perspectives and finding common ground with others.  

"Day on the Hill remains an incredible opportunity for our students to experience work and life in the nation's capital while connecting with an impressive array of alumni,” says Associate Professor and Chair of Politics DeWayne Lucas, who led students on the program with Executive Director of the Salisbury Center for Career, Professional and Experiential Education Brandi Ferrara and Associate Director of the Salisbury Center Julia Walsh Postler.

“Students were able to talk with influential changemakers in Washington, all of whom shared an HWS connection. This experience allowed them to envision themselves in careers in D.C. while gaining insights from our accomplished alumni about successes and opportunities that the Colleges played in their journeys. It's always inspiring to see and hear their stories and to connect the HWS experience to the Washington experience," Lucas adds.

John Sipher ’83, P’19, the non-resident senior fellow at Atlantic Council, founder and CEO of Spycraft Entertainment and a retired CIA clandestine officer of nearly 30 years, delivered the keynote address prior to the “Homeland Security” and “Life on the Hill” panels. Alumni on the “Homeland Security” panel were Dominique Ellis ’15, a recruiter for the U.S. Secret Service; Hunter LaCroix ’12, the senior director for the Office of the National Cyber Director, Executive Office of the President and Professor of Homeland Security Studies; Matthew Lyttle ’06, the director at Guidehouse; and Kristopher Smith ’01, a supervisory special agent for the U.S. Department of State. 

The bipartisan “Life on the Hill” panel presented students with insights from Emma Consoli ’20, a legislative assistant for Representative Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA); Maura McNamara ’22, a legislative correspondent for Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX); Jonathan O’Neil ’21, legislative correspondent for Representative Austin Scott (R-GA) and Teddy Tanzer ’10, the senior director of Invariant. 

Peace Corps Director Carol Spahn L.H.D. ’24 who delivered the 2024 Commencement Address, offered welcoming remarks during the students’ visit to the organization’s headquarters.

From the nonprofit sector, students heard from alumni and professionals during the “Advocacy” panel that included Saige Arsenault ’22, the recruitment manager of Teach for America; Shannon Casey ’16, the operations director at Foreign Policy of America; Brian Horn ’12, the chief operation officer at Disability:IN and Caroline Welles, the executive director of The First Ask.   

“Hearing from professionals in various fields like Carol Spahn of the Peace Corps, Teach for America and the EPA reinforced my desire to ensure that regardless of where my career takes me, I want my work to positively impact those around me,” says Arianna Hansen ’27, a politics major. 

Students also toured both the Environmental Protection Agency, speaking with Brian Thompson ’04, acting director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, and the Ocean Conservancy, learning more about the organization from Caroline Spruill ’12, director of internal communications.

Anthonia Esi ’27, a writing and rhetoric and politics double major, appreciated being around people passionate about policy and advocacy. 

“I saw this program as a chance to deepen my understanding of American political influence, engage with policymakers and be in the rooms where critical decisions are made,” Esi says. “This experience brought me one step closer to my career goal of working in advocacy.” 

During another panel, recent graduates discussed their experiences transitioning from HWS to Washington, D.C.. The conversation included Katherine Healey ’23, a J.D. candidate at The George Washington University School of Law; Maddi Meyer ’24, a spring intern for Representative Dina Titus (D-NV) and Griffin Reiner ’24, an associate in the Government Affairs division at FGS Global.   

Additionally, Robert Marsh ’81, a principal at OB-C Group, provided an address about his longtime career in government while Hadley Sosnoff ’06, a partner at Emergent Strategies, sponsored a networking reception.

On the last day of the program, students toured the Atlantic Council, hearing from William Wechsler P’27, senior director of the Rafik Hariri Center and Middle East Programs, and met with Julia Oak Leroy ’14, manager; Andrew Webb ’14, manager and William Wetzel ’11, senior consultant at Deloitte LLP. 

“As a first-generation student, this experience gave me a sense of direction and security of what to expect and look out for once I graduate,” says Joey Tello Galicia ’25, a history and anthropology double major. “The HWS community in Washington, D.C. was very welcoming, helpful and excited to see everyone. This definitely makes me more enticed to join their community.” 

In the photo above, President Mark D. Gearan, Associate Professor of Politics DeWayne Lucas and students gather with staff at the Peace Corps headquarters.