What is the Pathways Program?
The Pathways Program was created by President Barack Obama to create clear paths to Federal internships and employment opportunities for students and graduates. The program includes two distinct programs, one for current students and one for recent graduates.Current Students
The Pathways Internship program is for current undergraduate and graduate students. It provides students in high schools, colleges, trade schools, and other qualifying educational institutions with paid opportunities to work in agencies and explore Federal careers while completing their education.Recent Graduates
The Pathways Recent Graduates program is for students who have graduated from undergraduate or graduate school programs within the last two years. Successful applicants are placed in a dynamic, developmental program with the potential to lead to a civil service career in the Federal Government.
Logan and several Pathways interns enjoyed playing on the CFPB softball team, the "Loan Rangers." Logan helped designed the team jersey. In addition to the hands-on experience, the CFPB Pathways program also organized several training and professional development sessions for my class of interns. We got to have “coffee chats” with supervisors from every division within the Bureau, which gave us all a sense of the opportunities available at the CFPB outside our specific assignments and broadened our networks. Overall, the internship program was very well organized, and I felt like I was a contributing member to my team.
The Eisenhower Executive Office Building during Independence Day celebrations. This building is where the office of the Vice President is located. There were several highlights during the course of my internship at CFPB. One of my favorite things about working at the Bureau was that it was located immediately across the street from the White House. Every morning, I got to walk by the White House on my morning commute—in fact, on one occasion I saw Alabama native and Apple, Inc. CEO Tim Cook exiting the front entrance of the White House. I also got to meet one of my role models, Senator Elizabeth Warren, and she signed my copy of her book on bankruptcy law.Working for the federal government was a wonderful experience, and I encourage UAB students interested in government and policy to definitely check out the Pathways Program next year when thinking about summer internships.
By Logan Talbot