Booth Mansion Experience Offers Step Up Into Career Dreams
“My first thought, while carrying my 50-pound suitcase to my room on the third floor was, ‘Wow, there sure are a lot of stairs in this place,’” says 21-year-old Joshua Burdick.
The fourth-year Trinity Western University communications major decided to spend the last semester of his third year at TWU’s Laurentian Leadership Centre (LLC) in Ottawa. The LLC, located in the historic 100-year-old Booth Mansion, offers 22 university students each semester a one-of-a-kind educational experience where they get to live, work, and study in the heart of Ottawa.
“I wanted to attend the LLC because I knew it was such a phenomenal program,” says Burdick. “Everyone I talked to who attended the LLC has said that it was an amazing experience and the highlight of their university career. And I was really excited about all of the internship possibilities and finding one that would be specific to my educational goals.”
Since 2001, the LLC has opened the doors of Ottawa’s most powerful offices to its students. Janet Epp Buckingham, LL.D., director of the LLC works with leaders in Parliament, nongovernmental organizations, and businesses to place each student into an internship that fits his or her interests and abilities.
Burdick couldn’t have been happier when his internship landed him with the Canadian Public Affairs Channel (CPAC). There he was exposed to a variety of jobs, including observing live news reports from Parliament Hill, interviewing subjects for a television series, transcribing interviews, editing, and producing a nine-minute historical television documentary about the Canadian Pacific Railway that will air nationally.
TWU student interns also partake in conferences, receptions, and other events that happen almost nightly in the nation’s capital. “Since students often attend with their internship supervisors,” explains Buckingham, “they get the networking opportunity of being introduced by an mp, the head of a nongovernmental organization, or a business leader.”
While at the LLC, some of Burdick’s other highlights included meeting Minister of Defence, Peter McKay, and even meeting former Prime Minister, Jean Chretien who asked Burdick, an American, his opinion on the 2003 decision for Canada not to enter the war with Iraq. “I was speechless and tried to offer up a very diplomatic answer. I will never forget that,” says Burdick.
by Erin Mussolum '95
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Did You Know?
The Booth Mansion celebrated its centennial anniversary this year with a number of special events including Lingua Franca, a TWU student art exhibit.
The mansion has been awarded $25,000 from the federal government in matching funds for building restoration.
The LLC program was featured on the Global TV documentary, Hip 2 B Holy, which aired May 25.
Where are the LLC Grads Now?
Jocelyn Durston ’03 interned with the Canadian International Development Agency. She is now the Deputy Director and International Policy Analyst with the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, dealing with global poverty and international religious liberty.
Michael Van Hemmen ’05 interned with James Rajotte, MP. He is currently a policy analyst to Rob Merrifield, Minister of State for Transport.
Tamara (Reimer) Isaak ’07 interned with World Vision. She has recently returned from an internship in Tanzania with Développement international Desjardins, working on community microfinance.
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