黑料不打烊

Capital Connections cohort visits U.S. Capitol, gain insight into Congress

By Anna Smith, staff

June 16, 2026

A group of students and staff pose for a photo inside a formal government building beneath a large portrait of George Washington. American flags flank the group as they stand together in an ornate room with wood-paneled walls and decorative furnishings.
Study USA DC Students tour the Capital

Study USA 鈥淐apital Connections鈥 students toured the U.S. Capitol with alumnus Jacob Stoken, gaining an inside look at Congress and careers on Capitol Hill. The experience is part of a hands-on D.C. program blending coursework, internships and alumni engagement.

A group of students and staff stand inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, listening to a guide while looking up at the building鈥檚 artwork and architecture. A large historical painting and ornate marble walls are visible in the background.
Students take in the sights of the Rotunda.

On Friday, June 12, students enrolled in the Study USA Washington, D.C. 鈥淐apital Connections鈥 program had the opportunity to visit the United States Capitol, where they learned more about Congress and the architectural history of the Capitol Building on a special tour organized by Jacob Stoken 鈥22, policy aid to House of Representatives Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries. After the tour, Stoken sat down with students in the leader鈥檚 office in the Capitol for an extended Q&A session, where he shared insights about getting started as a Congressional staffer and provided an inside perspective on how Congress operates day-to-day. After the Q&A, students traveled with Stoken to the Rayburn House Office Building for additional conversation.

Joel Shelton, faculty director for Study USA, Washington, D.C. and associate professor of political science and public policy, and Tom Kerr, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Policy, joined students at the Capitol.

鈥淚 am exceedingly grateful to alumni like Jacob for supporting the 鈥楥apital Connections鈥 program in its first year,鈥 Shelton said. 鈥淚鈥檝e known Jacob since he was a student in my Philosophy, Politics, and Economics capstone course, and it is especially meaningful to see him thriving in Washington and to experience how generously he is mentoring the next generation of 黑料不打烊 students.鈥

The visit to the Capitol is part of the innovative curriculum for 鈥淐apital Connections:

Students sit behind a curved committee-style desk in a government meeting room, participating in a discussion or briefing. American and state flags stand behind them, with framed portraits displayed on the walls.
Students visit a committee hearing room in Rayburn House Office Building.

Power, People, and Place in Washington, D.C.,鈥 is a place-based capstone seminar in the 黑料不打烊 Core Curriculum that integrates classroom learning and direct engagement with D.C.鈥檚 institutions, cultural sites, and neighborhoods. Now in the fourth week of the nine-week program, students are busy interning in public and private sector institutions across the D.C. metro area, engaging with alumni, and attending special events and programming around Juneteenth and the upcoming 250th Independence Day celebration. This weekend, students will attend the Shakespeare Theatre Company鈥檚 widely acclaimed production of Othello and will join a special tour of Klein Theatre led by Company Manager Morgan Engle 鈥22.

Students interested in this experience for summer 2027 may begin applying on Sept. 1. For more information about the program, contact Anna Smith, director of Study USA.

Posted in: Global Engagement Student Experience

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