Caroline Wallace ‘23 

Features Editor 

Caroline Tornatore ‘23 is spending her fall semester in Washington D.C., where she has the opportunity to work and learn from various professors and congresspeople about what it is like to work for the federal government. Students from Holy Cross that participate in the D.C. program must work at an internship four days a week as well as complete a thirty five page thesis about a topic of their choice by the end of the semester. 

While Tornatore is in the beginning stages of her thesis, she is brainstorming ideas through her daily experiences on Capitol Hill. A regular week for her includes a seminar once a week with a professor from Marquette where she, along with other Holy Cross students, learn about public policy in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. She also works at an internship at a lobbying firm, Manatos & Manatos, on Monday through Thursday. In this internship she helps to plan events and make calls to congresspeople and constituents. 

While Tornatore and the other students from Holy Cross that are spending the semester in D.C. have been working hard, they have also taken the opportunity to get to know their new home. Tornatore said that after a busy work week, she and her friends enjoy relaxing by the rooftop pool at their apartment complex. On their days off, Tornatore explained that the Holy Cross students enjoy going on monument tours, visiting the Smithsonian, and exploring old town Alexandria, VA. Tornatore included that one of her highlights amidst her adventures thus far was spotting Nancy Pelosi! She also included that the students have planned a trip to the postal museum to see the stamp collection.

When I asked Tornatore why she decided to participate in the D.C. program she stated that “I knew I wanted to apply to the program when I was touring Holy Cross, and it was actually one of the reasons why I applied to the college.” Tornatore explained further that the program is “an amazing opportunity that is unique to the College of the Holy Cross.” Furthermore, Tornatore is interested in a career in law and hopes to one day work in D.C. She hopes that this semester in D.C. will allow her to get a glimpse of what her life will be like after graduating law school.