NATIONAL COALITION TO ABOLISH THE
DEATH PENALTY
Matthew Rankin

A history major from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Matthew Rankin was the public-relations chair of the Student Senate, and he worked at his Student Union for three years as a building manager. Matthew also worked as a technician and student office assistant. He won the Carpe-Diem Award from Phi Kappa Sigma where he also served as president of the fraternity. Matthew speaks Spanish and had traveled to the Dominican Republic as well as the Bahamas. He applied to the Washington Internship Program in early April and requested a placement in human rights (or animal rights) from a liberal political perspective. Following a phone interview, Matthew was placed in mid May at the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty where he worked from June through August. Throughout the summer, Matthew lived at Summit Hills in Silver Spring, Maryland, housing managed for interns by WIP, where two of his roommates – “Michael” Jeong and Taesu Kim – were from South Korea.
  
At the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Matthew was one of three select interns. He worked on articles for the NCADP website for which he conducted research on cases where people were scheduled to be executed during the month. He attended protests against the death penalty that were held at the Supreme Court and distributed information about the racial and class bias involved in the application of the death penalty within the United States. Matthew also did some graphic-design work, including the creation of a logo for the Journey of Hope, an organization conducting a speaking tour from Virginia to Texas on behalf of the families of the executed. The National Geographic contacted NCADP for help with research on links between arson cases and the death penalty. Matthew helped with research for this project and discovered that there was no meaningful connection. Matthew reported to the director of the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, and he worked in an unpaid capacity at the K Street office five days a week from 10:00 to 5:00. Matthew learned a great deal from dedicated staff members, and above all he said: “This internship pointed me in the direction of law school.” As a senior with one extra semester to complete, Matthew plans to begin applying to law school in the summer of 2007.

Back to Sample internships main page