Earlier this week, we congratulated Jonathan Sih and his new job and today we have learned that Jonathan Kim [UMass Grad] also has a new position with a company called Network Federal in DC, with offices also Greenbelt, MD where he’ll be working. Network Federal works with government contractors selling and reselling to the federal government through the GSA schedule. One more Washington Scholar is moving up the national public policy career ladder here in the nation’s capitol. Plus in Jonathan’s own words “I truly believe that my public service experience through my USAF service AND my Washington Scholar internship in the Congress is what gave me the ‘edge’ in getting this job, since there were a lot of other candidates that interviewed for this position”.

Special congratulations to Washington Scholar Grad Jonathan Sih, who we’ve just learned is moving up the career ladder. Jon did his Washington Scholar internship on the staff of Congresswoman Judy Biggert of Illinois, and did such a good job there [also where Washington Scholar Grad Zach Cikanek is the Press Secretary] that he was hired onto the staff full time to begin his national public policy career path. That was a year and a half ago. Today we learned that Jon has been hired to be a Legislative Assistant at the firm of Russ Reid here in Washington, DC—— the firm specializes in Congressional Relations and the Congressional Appropriations process as it applies to not-for-profit organizations. So our first New Year 2008 congratulations go to Jonathan Sih of the University of Texas as he begins to move up the career ladder in this, his national public policy career and professional involvement.

Washington Scholar’s Graduate Joe Kotalik will soon be moving over to the Department of Homeland Security to work in their Science & Technology Division. Joe has been on the Secretary of the Navy staff working for Assistant Secretary Navas and Deputy Assistant Secretary Blair. General Navas has announced his plans to retire from that position on 1 JAN and Ms. Blair has been designated by the President as his successor.

We are also pleased to advise all that one of our more recent WS Grads and Vice President of this past Summer’s Intern Class, John Vehmeyer, has been selected to replace Joe Kotalik on the SECNAV staff where he will hold Kotalik’s old job. Joe Kotalik was preceded in that position by Washington Scholar Grad Ryan Tully who went from the SECNAV staff to the Staff of Senator John Ensign of Nevada.

OK, so maybe I’m overly proud of The Washington Scholars Fellowship Program , but in my opinion it has truly become one of the absolute finest training programs in the nation for bringing our nation’s future leaders to Washington, DC and providing them with experience and credentialing that then prepares them to be a future leader of the country. The program has now graduated almost 100 young men and women, with close to 40% now fully employed in national public policy careers where they have the opportunity to work for America and make ours a better nation. The other 60% are back in college completing their undergrad degrees, or in Grad School or Law School, and I fully expect them to enter national public policy careers once their formal education is completed and they have those sheepskins to hang on their office wall. In my opinion, America needs the best and brightest of our sons & daughters in it’s leadership if we are to continue to prosper and survive the challenges the world keeps sending our way, and I am seeing the GREAT ROLE that these young Washington Scholars can AND ARE playing in making all that happen. Read more »