Senior political science major gained real-world experience with internships in London and Washington, plus work on campaigns and polling.
BRISTOL, R.I. – Hands-on learning is a standard part of an RWU education and, like many Roger Williams University students, Rachel Wells has taken part in internships provide valuable, real-world experience in locations all across the world. But not everyone has been applauded by former British Prime Minister David Cameron.
On Oct. 26, Wells attended a presentation by political scientist Christopher H. Achen, who came to RWU as part of the President’s Distinguished Speakers Series. Before the speech, she had a chance to chat with Achen about everything from the United States’ presidential race to the United Kingdom’s Brexit vote. And attention turned to the fact that she’d been in London, as part of an RWU internship, during the 2015 elections that returned Cameron to 10 Downing Street as prime minister.
Wells, 21, a senior political science major from Woburn, Mass., worked as an intern with Cameron’s Conservative Party, handling letters from constituents between January and May 2015. During the semester, she saw Cameron from time to time, but she didn’t meet him until her last day, when he stopped by party headquarters to thank her and two other American interns.
“He clapped for me,” Wells said. “He made us feel welcomed. He said, ‘Thank you for all you have done for the party.’”