Written by Grace Canlas
It’s not every day that you have the opportunity to live in the nation’s capital, intern at the U.S. Senate, or shake hands with the Austrian ambassador. As a student on the Washington-Hillsdale Internship Program (WHIP), that’s what your everyday life becomes. Last fall, I spent my semester on WHIP—a “study-abroad” program in Washington, D.C., that consists of a full-time internship during the day, rigorous Hillsdale classes at night, and various activities sponsored by Hillsdale in D.C. on the weekends.
WHIP offers the best of both worlds: the opportunity to continue one’s Hillsdale education through rigorous studies inside the classroom and to apply one’s Hillsdale education to meaningful work outside the classroom. WHIP is education in action—it’s where statesmanship, self-government, and virtus tentamine gaudet (Hillsdale College’s motto, translated as “strength rejoices in the challenge”) come to life. This is part three of a three-part series explaining why you should go on WHIP. Reason #3: Do it for the challenge.
You don’t really understand virtus tentamine gaudet until after participating in WHIP. It’s when the clock reads 3:00 a.m. as you finish drafting a memo on an environmental bill, or when you finish an eight-hour work day only to begin your four hours of classes, or when a record-long government shutdown hits mid-semester that you learn what hard work is and come to love it. It is through this hard work that WHIP cultivates strength, resilience, and adaptability.
A semester on WHIP is unique from any other semester at Hillsdale. You are not just a student taking rigorous classes; you are a professional with a serious internship. Whether you are interning at the White House, on the Hill, in a government agency, or with a think tank, you will learn how to successfully balance your professional life with your academic life and personal life, preparing you well for life after graduation. The demands of balancing an intense schedule of classes, work, and events builds focus, personal responsibility, and time management skills. While challenging, I found the fast-paced environment to be extremely rewarding as it fostered rhythms of self-discipline and habits of productivity.
When starting your internship, you will face the immediate challenge of the unknown. Finding your office, meeting your coworkers, and receiving your assignments for the first time can be intimidating, but you will learn to embrace the unknown as an adventure. WHIP will teach you how to rise above your circumstances and just do it—whether you are scared or excited, tired or energized, despondent or cheerful. Additionally, new challenges are opportunities for you to develop new skills and refine current ones. While you might be asked to write an article, draft a memo, or submit a project on an unfamiliar subject matter, fear not—remember your training as a student of the liberal arts.
Your history classes have taught you how to research with efficiency and accuracy, not just about 18th-century British naval history, but about digital asset mining and proof of stake. Your English classes have taught you how to write with proficiency and precision, not just about retributivism and justice in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but about the integration of artificial intelligence in medical diagnostics. Overcoming the challenge of researching and synthesizing a newly introduced bill until the early morning hours is what builds your skills as a capable writer and character as a dedicated team member. While getting up for work with little sleep will be rough, that late night/early morning is a memorable experience you will be able to look back on with pride.
Although you are still a Hillsdale undergraduate student, your WHIP classes will be taught by Hillsdale in D.C.’s graduate professors. These courses are challenging, but they are some of the most rewarding that you will take during your Hillsdale career. One of the most memorable sessions of “Sectionalism & The American Civil War” was when Dr. Richard Samuelson, associate professor of government, invited our class over for dinner in order to hold a makeup lesson. Around his dining room table, we shared a delicious meal, hung out with the one and only Elvis (his beloved dog), and discussed the Nullification Crisis that occurred during the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Dr. Samuelson is one of the most incredible professors I have had the opportunity to learn from during my time at Hillsdale. Never before have I thought so deeply about statesmanship, particularly the virtues of prudence and justice, as I did during Dr. Samuelson’s class and the days following our discussions.
WHIP is not for the faint of heart. You will face challenges, such as navigating a 43-day-long government shutdown or wearing heels for a 13-hour-long work day/school night. However, strength does rejoice in the challenge when it knows the work is in pursuit of a worthy end. Knowing what I do now, my biggest regret from college would be if I never studied a semester on WHIP. Needless to say, I highly recommend going on WHIP—you never know the person you will become as a result of the people you meet, the adventures you encounter, and the challenges you conquer.
Read part one here.
Read part two here.
Grace Canlas, ’27, is pursuing a major in history and double minor in psychology and military history and strategy. When she’s not studying, Grace can be found practicing martial arts or laughing with her family and friends.
Published in April 2026
