Alexis and Laurence Pelosi (LAW ’97) gifted $100,000 to the Georgetown Institute of Politics and Public Service (GU Politics) to support students pursuing unpaid or underpaid summer internships.

This coming summer, the Alexis and Laurence Pelosi Endowed Internship Fund will provide five Georgetown University undergraduate and graduate students with $3,000 in financial assistance to cover living expenses during their summer internship. Students are eligible to apply for the scholarship if they are pursuing an internship in politics, public service or media. 

Alexis Pelosi said the goal of the fund is to expand internship and career opportunities to all students who are interested in starting a career in public service. 

“Laurence and I are proud to support students pursuing public service opportunities,” Pelosi wrote in a statement to The Hoya. “This Fund at Georgetown’s Institute of Politics and Public Service will advance opportunities for underrepresented students who want to explore careers in public service, and deepen the impact they can have on our democracy.”

Many internships are unpaid, which is permitted as long as the employer classifies the intern as the “primary beneficiary” of the work. In 2021, 42% of online internships were unpaid, while 35% of in-person internships were unpaid.

Mo Elleithee, founding executive director of GU Politics, said the fund aims to help applicants overcome barriers that inhibit them from participating in experiential learning opportunities. 

“Laurence Pelosi is a proud Georgetown Law alum and has been a big supporter of GU Politics and the McCourt School for several years,” Elleithee wrote in a statement to The Hoya. “After a few recent conversations about the need to support a pipeline of diverse students who typically find public service careers to be inaccessible, he and Alexis generously offered to endow a fund to ease the burden of unpaid and underpaid internships.”

In addition to financial aid, the internship fund will provide workshops and training sessions led by professionals in the area of public service for the student awardees.

The internship fund, coupled with its career-building resources, will help students from marginalized backgrounds capitalize on internship opportunities, according to Anya Wahal (SFS ’23), co-chair of GU Politics’ Student Advisory Board. 

“Low-income students and first-generation students, in particular, will directly benefit from the financial support provided by the Internship Fund,” Wahal wrote in an email to The Hoya. “I also strongly believe that LGBTQ+ students, disabled students, and students of color will benefit significantly from the fund, not only through its financial resources, but also through its career and skill-building support.”

Black students, first-generation students and women are more likely to have an unpaid internship, according to a 2020 report from the National Association of Colleges and Employers. 

Expanding internship opportunities and accessibility makes these fields more inclusive, according to Reed Howard (SFS ’17), director of communications at GU Politics. 

“The Alexis and Laurence Pelosi Endowed Internship Fund will provide financial support for Georgetown University students whose unique background or personal experiences, when evaluated holistically, would contribute to diversifying the fields of politics, public service and media,” Howard wrote in a statement to The Hoya. 

The internship fund will help GU Politics expand career resources and opportunities for students beyond its current offerings, which currently includes the McCourt Fund for Student Excellence, which provides financial assistance to students who are furthering their careers with meaningful unpaid summer internships. 

Students can submit an application to the Alexis and Laurence Pelosi Endowed Internship Fund until April 24, and finalists will be notified in May. 

The internship fund will help students begin their careers in public service, according to Wahal.

“The stepping stone offered by the Internship Fund will be critical for students as they continue to navigate their careers and build their skills,” Wahal wrote.