黑料正能量

In less than four months as an intern at , sophomore Dominika 鈥淣ika鈥� Hoefle earned the respect of FPI president Liz McCloskey.

鈥淣ika was what we would call our 鈥榰ber鈥� intern,鈥� McCloskey told 黑料正能量 News Service. She described Hoefle鈥檚 performance as 鈥渟uperb鈥� in that she took initiative on projects, while asking necessary questions, seeking approval before proceeding, and understanding that she was in a support role to FPI staff.

Hoefle landed at FPI as part of the , a program under which students from 黑料正能量 and several of 黑料正能量鈥檚 sister schools live cooperatively in an 黑料正能量-owned building in northeast Washington D.C., take classes and go on educational outings, and do internships in D.C. organizations.

Upon arriving at FPI in January, Hoefle became immersed in preparations for FPI鈥檚 , which took place March 7鈥�9, 2014. Pilgrimage Chair John Lewis (D-GA) led the delegation to the Mississippi Delta and then to Selma, Alabama. There the group crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in commemoration of a horrific event on March 7, 1965, when Lewis and many other civil rights demonstrators were attacked by police as they peacefully attempted to cross the bridge and march to the state capital of Montgomery. Lewis himself was severely injured in this attack.

Six weeks after this, April 23-27, FPI embarked on its in its quarter-century of existence 鈥� and second international pilgrimage (the first was to South Africa in 2003) 鈥� to the island of Ireland. This trip, like FPI鈥檚 dozens of pilgrimages to historically significant sites in the United States since 1991, aimed at fostering greater understanding and reconciliation among leaders of Congress.

In support of FPI鈥檚 permanent staff and under their direction, Hoefle prepared extensive briefing documents to help make both trips a success. She also became a member of the team of travelers.

For the Irish pilgrimage, FPI enlisted the help of another WCSC student, senior Kara Lofton (who had been interning at Sojourners as an editorial assistant), to join the travelers and post updates via FPI鈥檚 Facebook and Twitter accounts as the group moved through the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

In addition to two members of Congress 鈥� Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) 鈥� the delegation included: Maryland Governor Martin O鈥橫alley; Nettie Douglass, founding chair of Frederick Douglass Family Initiatives; Anne Anderson, Ireland鈥檚 ambassador to the United States; Kevin Murphy, police chief of Montgomery, Alabama; three university professors with expertise on Ireland; two representatives from the NAACP; and a number of business leaders.

鈥淲e were able to take our Civil Rights Pilgrimage and model an international trip after that,鈥� said McCloskey. During the civil rights pilgrimages, participants (called delegates) were able to hear personal narratives from people on both sides of the divide. This successful model was employed in planning the trip to the island of Ireland, where the FPI delegates interacted with leading political and religious figures in the long-standing conflict over political control and socio-economic equity there, including Michael D. Higgins, president of the Republic of Ireland, and Nobel Peace Laureate John Hume. The FPI pilgrimage was widely covered by the Irish media.

Working on Capitol Hill, FPI promotes effective government through reflection and conversation across racial, religious, ideological and party lines, according to its website. The institute aims to cultivate a spiritual community of men and women who seek 鈥渁 better way to do the people鈥檚 business.鈥�

Hoefle could not be reached for comments for this article, as she is visiting her family in Thailand this summer and traveling around that region. But she shared lodging with Lofton during the Ireland trip, and often told Lofton of her pleasure in working at FPI.

The feeling was mutual. 鈥淪he had a sweet spirit that meshed very well with the culture and environment we try to cultivate here,鈥� said McCloskey. 鈥淪he has a special heart for peace and reconciliation work so it was very fitting she was the one to come [on the two pilgrimages].鈥�

, WCSC director, said that Hoefle was the latest in a long line of 黑料正能量 interns at FPI. 鈥淲e鈥檝e had someone there just about every spring since about 2002,鈥� she noted. 鈥淎lmost all of these interns have participated in Faith & Politics鈥� annual Congressional Civil Rights Pilgrimage.鈥� Schmidt, a professor of American history, went on FPI鈥檚 2009 pilgrimage.

Others from 黑料正能量 who have interned at FPI: Jeremy Blake 鈥�05, Liza Heavener 鈥�07, Cathrine Blum 鈥�08, Regina Wenger 鈥�09, Robert Alderfer 鈥�10, Daniel Herring 鈥�10, Karissa Sauder 鈥�10, Sarah Roth Shank 鈥�10, Heidi Boese Derstine 鈥�11, and Joo-Ah Lee, class of 2015.