ARchived Alumni Interviews

Holly Schoenke is the Executive Director of the American Association of Political Consultants, the professional organization for people working in the field of politics in the United States. A native of Maryland, Holly has been involved in a number of political campaigns.  Her appointment to head the AAPC reflects her stellar reputation in the consulting community.  Holly attended Semester in Washington in the Summer of 1996.  She is a graduate of the College of Charleston.

SIW:  Why did you decide to go to Semester in Washington?

Schoenke:  I couldn't get an internship anywhere that summer in DC.  My college advisor had found the Semester in Washington and thought it brought together not only practical internship experience but also college credit which was a big bonus for me.  The concept of program seemed very intriguing.

SIW:  What did you want to get out of Semester in Washington?

Schoenke:  Definitely to learn about campaigns.  That was the big draw for me at that point in my life.  I knew that was what I wanted to be doing after graduation so it fit right in.

SIW:  What was your experience that summer like?

Schoenke:  Spending the morning going through the academic side of campaigning and then in the afternoon seeing these tools put into action and meeting people who actually did the work professionally made this a unique experience.

SIW:  Did the program meet or exceed your expectations?

Schoenke:  It exceeded them.

SIW:  How?

Schoenke:  Even though I grew up in D.C. and was exposed to a lot of this political stuff, there still were never the opportunities like what the Semester in Washington gave me.  People I met, places they took us to -- I know I would never have experienced had it not been for that summer. It was great to be taught by the professionals -- not just teachers who teach it year after year, but people currently working in politics.  To read textbooks and learn about these political people and then the next day have them come to your class and teach it to you was a different way to apply theory to practice.

SIW:  How has that experience helped you as you've moved along your career path?

Schoenke:  I definitely found myself using the tools we learned that summer again and again in my professional life - so much [that] I would refer back to my class notes!

SIW:  What was the single most important thing the program gave you?

Schoenke:  Contacts, Contacts, Contacts!    It is amazing how many people I work with now whom I met that summer.