“George School did a great job in teaching us the importance of contributing positively to our community, whether that was the local Newtown community, the Bucks County community, or—thinking more broadly—the global community,” said Shelby Williams ’21.

 

For Shelby, that lesson led her to an internship at the White House during the fall of her junior year at Cornell University. After being heavily involved in Student Council at George School, Shelby says, “I became very conscious of my environment and the importance of being a good citizen. Those values have guided my undergraduate pursuits and extracurricular endeavors.”

 

It was during her application process to Cornell that Shelby first learned about the Cornell in Washington program. Designed to provide academic, professional development, and culturally enriching opportunities, Cornell in Washington at the Brooks School of Public Policy gives students the opportunity to pursue highly selective internships, take specially-designed Cornell courses, and take advantage of Washington, DC as their campus.

 

Shelby knew she wanted to participate in the program at the start of her junior year, so when the time came, she began looking into what internships might be available.

 

“The White House internship, the mecca of the executive branch of the federal government, stuck out to me and became my focus,” she remembered. “I worked hard on my application, submitted it, and hoped for the best.”

 

She landed it and was assigned to the Office of the First Lady in the fall of 2023. She worked with The White House Social Office team, which manages event planning for the President and the First Lady.

 

“As an outsider, I did not anticipate how frequently events occurred at the White House. For example, the President might have an executive order signing or a reception for a specific community. My office was responsible for executing those events,” Shelby explained.

 

On a day-to-day basis, Shelby staffed events and supported her supervisors to ensure that they were prepared for meetings and correspondence. She needed to be very attentive to the details of her work. Looking back, two particular experiences stood out for Shelby: preparing the Australian State Dinner, when the First couple hosted the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and being part of the many White House holiday receptions during the months of November and December. In both cases, seeing the smiles from White House guests, and knowing that her work had an impact on them, was an amazing feeling.

 

Reflecting on preparations for the State Dinner, she recounted all of the hard work that her team put in planning in the months leading up to it. Despite this, “it felt amazing to see my contributions manifest as part of a great event,” Shelby recalled.

 

“There are so many hardworking people who contribute in various ways to keep the government working to serve our country,” she said. “As an intern, you might think a task is small, but I learned that all the small tasks add up. Even something like supporting my boss by organizing a document could be important, as that document might be presented to a major decision-maker.”

 

Shelby has been drawn to government since her days at George School, where, in tandem with her coursework, she sought opportunities to grow through leadership and service. An Andrew Bourns ’87 Social Justice Endowment grant recipient in tenth grade, she went on to serve in student government as grade representative in her sophomore and junior year and secretary her senior year.

 

“Classes like IB global politics sparked my interest in policy-making,” she said. “George School was a politically active campus and encouraged students to engage in civic and political dialogue through collective action. Being at a school that supported us was exhilarating for me.”

 

Shelby continued her engaged citizenship at Cornell, where—among other roles—she has served as Chair of the University Assembly, the highest governing body on campus. Her White House internship gave her an even broader view of paths to public service.

 

“In thinking about roles at the White House, people often think of policy analysts, military strategists, or higher-level positions. Event planning is not always top of mind,” Shelby explained. “But these events support policy initiatives of the administration. I enjoyed the blend of customer service and technology skills needed for my role, and I realized that there are so many paths to public service. I’ve re-envisioned ways that I might serve in the future.”

 

After Cornell, Shelby plans to go to law school but is also considering exploring her interests in consulting and finance.

 

She encourages current students to use George School to their advantage and learn as much as they can.

 

“Don’t limit yourself. There are so many opportunities for personal development I took advantage of at George School that helped me get to where I am today. Don’t be intimidated to pursue certain experiences because you think you might not have the right qualifications or experience. Work hard and develop skill sets, but don’t count yourself out. You’re more qualified than you think you are.”