After a two-year hiatus due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the annual Illinois State University Washington, D.C., Civic Engagement Trip returned in 2022. Eight students joined Professor Erik Rankin in our nation’s capital to meet with various stakeholders in our democracy.
This year the group stayed at the Catholic University of America. Students spent a day on Capitol Hill meeting with Congressman Adam Kinzinger ’00 and U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin. The Capitol had just reopened to visitors since the events of January 6.
Students also met with fellow Illinois State alumni Corine Weiler ’10 (in the office of Sen. Jon Tester) and Sean Sibley ’17 (in the office of Sen. Gary Peters), among others. A meeting with professionals in the area of public policy was also added this year and students were pleased to meet with Patrick Brady of Amazon. The group also met with Gallup Editor-in-Chief Mohamed Yunis.
In addition to great meetings and time spent together, the group visited many of the historic museums and monuments in D.C. such as the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture.
