A pair of Keuka College students will spend the summer in Washington, D.C., thanks to a partnership that they helped reestablish.
Juniors Daric Frech and Connor Harding have both been accepted into the SUNY Washington Internship Program, which provides opportunities to college students throughout the state.
The program is managed by SUNY Brockport, which had long partnered with Keuka College. But with the COVID-19 pandemic coming on the heels of the departure of the faculty member who previously oversaw the program, the relationship had fallen dormant.
That all changed when Connor and Daric independently inquired last year about conducting D.C. internships for their summer 2025 Field Periods.
“These two students really drove the whole process,” said Professor of History Dr. Christopher Leahy, who now coordinates the program. “They didn’t know about the SUNY Brockport program, but they inquired into doing a Washington internship and that prompted the whole thing.”
Recalling the Brockport connection, Dr. Leahy contacted the program’s associate director. He got a warm welcome.
“Robert Powell, who directs the program, said that he actually had it on his radar to try to re-up the partnership with us,” he said.
With ties reestablished, Connor and Daric jumped into the demanding application process. The competition is daunting: Students from colleges and universities throughout the state compete for just 15 openings.
While they’ve been accepted to the program, the work isn’t over. Daric, a Political Science and History major, and Connor, who’s majoring in Criminology and Criminal Justice with a student-initiated minor in Foreign Affairs, are now submitting applications – lots of them – to determine where they will conduct their internships.
“You have to do 10 or more applications,” said Connor, who is also president of the Student Senate. “So, you get placed somewhere even if you don’t get your first choice.”
Connor’s first choice is in the office of U.S., Rep. Claudia Tenney, a Republican who represents the FInger Lakes region. Daric, who transferred to Keuka College last fall from West Virginia Wesleyan College, has his sights set on the other side of the political aisle, the offices of Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.
“They come from different political perspectives, which I think is interesting,” said Dr. Leahy. “I think it’s something that we should try to cultivate.”
Should first choices not work out, Connor said his alternatives include the U.S. Marshalls Service, conservative think tanks, or non-profits. Daric said his Plan B would take him down a more personal path.
“I’d want to go into special education, specifically funding for students with dyslexia,” he said. “Being a student with dyslexia, I feel like that’s a very important topic.”
Regardless of where they land, Associate Professor of Political Science Dr. David Pak Leon is confident they will succeed.
“They’re both conscientious, hard-working students,” he said.
Dr. Leahy concurred.
“They’re terrific students, both of these guys are going to represent Keuka College in a positive way.”
