Wellesley College junior Lindsay Barnes, of Reston, Va., senior Graciela Gonzales of Corrales, N.M., and senior Amanda Wyatt of Akron, Ohio, are spending the summer in the White House Internship Program.

The White House Internship Program provides an opportunity to gain valuable professional experience and build leadership skills. Interns work in one of several White House departments, including the Office of the Chief of Staff and the Office of Health Reform. In addition to daily assignments, interns participate in a long-term service project to help the surrounding community. Each week, participants also come together for a speaker series with senior staff members and participate in off-site field trips around D.C.  

Wyatt, who is working in the office of the White House National Economic Council, said the best moments of the internship have included attending a meeting in the White House Situation Room and visiting the West Wing, seeing White House senior staff in the hallways and volunteering for events on the South Lawn and at So Others Might Eat, serving food to the homeless.

"From this experience I feel that I will have a strong network of individuals who are driven and committed to careers in public service," she said. "Before this internship I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in public service, but now I am sure that I want to pursue a career in government."

The internship program's mission is to make the "People's House" accessible to future leaders all around the nation and cultivate and prepare those devoted to public service for future leadership opportunities.

"I applaud and thank these young men and women for answering the call to service," said President Obama, at the announcement of the winners of the highly competitive program. "I look forward to working with them, and commend all those who applied for their desire to build a brighter future for our country."