Graduate Interns with Former President Clinton

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Photo Courtesy of Media Services

Meet the Prez -  Monticello’s Will Whiting shakes hands with former President Bill Clinton at his New York office.

   Spending the summer working for the 42nd president of the United States was a dream come true for Will Whiting.

   A 2005 summa cum laude graduate of the University of Arkansas at Monticello, Whiting was one of 30 interns from an applicant pool of 600 chosen to work in former President Bill Clinton’s New York office from June through August.

   After a long and exhausting interview process, Whiting was notified in April that he had been selected to work for the former president. Whiting spent the summer living in a studio apartment in lower Manhattan and commuting 45 minutes to Clinton’s Harlem office in upper Manhattan.

   Whiting graduated from UAM with a double major in speech communications and journalism and was the 2005 Pi Kappa Delta All-American in debate and forensics. He put his background to work in the communications office for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a new initiative launched by the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. He also provided communications assistance for other areas supported by the Clinton Foundation, including the Clinton HIV-AIDS Initiative, the newly created Clinton Climate Initiative and the Clinton Global Initiative.

   “The internship was much more than I expected,” said Whiting. “I gained valuable experience that will help me professionally. I got a chance to live in and experience one of the greatest cities in the world. I met some amazing people and made some great friends.”

   Part of the intern experience included “brown bag” sessions with friends of President Clinton, including former first lady and current New York Senator Hillary Clinton, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Madonna, actor Edward Norton, Carlotta Walls, one of the original Little Rock Nine who integrated Little Rock Central High School and Doug Band, the former president’s personal aide.

   The interns were required to volunteer time in the Harlem community in addition to their actual work.

   “Harlem was an experience in and of itself,” said Whiting. “One of the best things about New York is that every neighborhood is completely different from the next one. Harlem was no exception. President Clinton’s willingness to locate his office in what is historically known as a rougher section of town was risky, but the community seems to appreciate his presence.”

   The son of Bill and Mary Whiting of Monticello, Will Whiting is pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock while working as a graduate assistant in both the Chancellor’s Office and the Office of Recruitment and Retention. He also volunteers one day a week at the Clinton Foundation.

   Whiting will return to New York as one of four interns chosen to serve as host for the Clinton Global Initiative Conference September 19-23. The conference is expected to attract world leaders, heads of state, national political figures and other celebrities from around the globe.

Photo Courtesy of Media Services

Interning-  Whiting and the other interns working in President Clinton’s office enjoyed “brown bag” lunches with celebrities and leaders as part of their summer internship. Here the group meets with actor Edward Norton (seated, center).

   “I’ve always been a big believer in public service and giving back,” Whiting said. “Working for President Clinton was, and is, an once-in-a-lifetime experience and it made me realize even more how important public service really is.” 

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