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 two of a three-part series explaining why you should go on WHIP. Reason #2: Do it for the adventure.
WHIP can be summed up as one grand semester-long adventure that is created by a multitude of splendid little adventures you experience every week during your internship, Hillsdale events, and personal excursions. At your internship, you will pretty much have a new adventure every day—exploring the halls of the U.S. Capitol on a Monday, running to get the senator soup on a Tuesday, leading a Capitol tour for constituents on a Wednesday, attending a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on a Thursday, or grabbing burgers with the office staff on a Friday. Even though you might get lost trying to navigate the tunnels of the Capitol your first week, you’ll soon be strolling through them like a pro. While the unknowns of a new internship are daunting, the novelty of a new adventure is exhilarating. Adventures like WHIP teach you how to learn on the job, think on your feet, and adapt on the spot—all while having the time of your life.
While you might be exhausted after the work week, get ready for the weekend. Hillsdale in D.C. schedules a wide variety of events throughout the semester for WHIP students to enjoy together, such as visiting Mount Vernon, watching a D.C. United game, or shooting at the NRA Range. Two of my favorite adventures from the semester were visiting Gettysburg and attending the Viennese Christmas Ball.
As a student in the military history and strategy program, I was looking forward to our trip to Gettysburg all semester, especially since I was then taking a class on Sectionalism and the Civil War. Upon arriving at Gettysburg, we first listened to a lecture on the battle from Dr. Allen Guelzo, a distinguished historian and friend of Hillsdale College. Our group then received a personal tour of the military park. We had the most enthusiastic and entertaining tour guide (shout-out to Charles!) who brought the battlefield’s history to life. My favorite spots were the Eternal Light Peace Memorial, the Angle, and the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Memorial. The latter memorial is always particularly meaningful for WHIP students to visit, as 23 Hillsdale College students fought in the ranks of the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry during the Battle of Gettysburg.
The following month, our WHIP class was fortunate enough to be invited to attend the Viennese Christmas Ball hosted by the American-Austrian Cultural Society. In preparation for the event, we received Viennese Waltz lessons, which were an adventure in and of themselves for someone with zero ballroom dance experience. Before the ball, the only place we had space to practice our dancing was on the red brick sidewalks of D.C., creating quite an iconic experience. At the Viennese Christmas Ball, not only did we get to showcase our new dance moves, but we also had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador of Austria and waltz with midshipmen of the U.S. Naval Academy. Through this adventure, I learned a new skill that enabled me to partake in the beauty of social dance and shake hands with some of the most incredible people I have been honored to meet.
Apart from all of the spectacular adventures you will have at your internship and Hillsdale events, WHIP also encourages you to create your own adventures, whether that be attending an opera performance at The Trump Kennedy Center, taking salsa dance lessons, or making a late-night snack run with a friend and unintentionally discovering pickle kombucha. Throughout the semester, you will have the opportunity to visit new places, learn new skills, and make new memories that you otherwise would not have on the main campus.
All of that is the long way of saying, “WHIP is an absolute blast!” Some adventures will make you excited while others will make you nervous, but all will make you grow. It’s about developing adaptability and resiliency—learning how to be comfortable in the uncomfortable. Any new goal that you make requires a new adventure for you to take. If you’ve been searching for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, look no further—WHIP is waiting for you.
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 March 2026
