The selection process for students seeking to attend the Colorado Capital Conference is in the final stages.

After completing the interviewing and selection processes, this small pool of students will attend a special trip to Capitol Hill in June.

Alongside Colorado’s senators, the University of Colorado and CMU have co-hosted this legislatively oriented event since 2012.

Each year in the summer, the conference takes 100 participants to Washington D.C. and students interact with congressional representatives working in the White House.

Working alongside leadership from the University of Colorado, CMU’s university leadership is primarily responsible for arranging students to meet specific members of Congress.

Their work ensures attendees receive an insightful look at the daily routines of high-ranking government officials.

“The conference builds really unique opportunities where just by being there, being proximate to leaders brings experience,” said vice president of external relations Derek Wagner. “We are that special connective tissue between leaders and our institution.”

Additionally, students interested in political career opportunities have expressed their eagerness in attending and participating in this experience.

“Getting to know the legislative process and potential job opportunities was a big motivator for me to apply,” said political science major Max Ruszkowski.

From the perspective of CMU staff, they agree that unique work opportunities students may receive during the conference are a prominent benefit of attending.

The trip will also be a chance for students to build their networking skills and make connections that will last beyond their college careers.

“A lot of students have been able to make connections during the conference to get internships and work for elected officials,” said Wagner. “We even had a student one year who was offered a job to work in the White House but decided not to take it.”

Beyond networking opportunities, participants will witness the legislative process firsthand alongside elected officials over the course of two and a half days.

CMU student attendees consist of students studying a variety of majors, under all different academic programs.

Applications are available to all students and are not limited to specific areas of study or academic deprartments.

However, the conference’s subject matter often appeals to students from the political science department.

“It’s open to anyone at CMU, but the Capital Conference is an especially exciting opportunity for political science students,” explained assistant professor of political science Dr. Holly Oberle.

With a maximum of six student seats available for this experience, CMU’s interdisciplinary applicant pool must participate in a competitive interview process each year.

If selected, CMU’s external affairs department will help pay for a student’s trip fees in full.

Typically, four to six students receive this highly coveted award.

“For the students who are selected [after] the interview process, […] we pay for their entire trip,” explained Wagner. “We pay for their conference fee, we pay for their travel. The students who are actually selected get their trip paid in full.”

Students unable to secure an all expenses paid scholarship may attend as well. However, they will have to provide $650 for the registration fee, find individual hotel accommodations and purchase airfare.

“There’s about four to six students who go from CMU and the University of Colorado [each year. Then the rest of the participants are members of the public who have to pay for the conference fee, their travel and their hotel,” said Wagner.

While any CMU student may apply for these scholarships, the administrative departments often prioritizes students pursuing careers in politics.

Notably, the Colorado Capital Conference is an experiential learning credit for political science majors.

Despite this academic connection, Oberle reports a lack of explicit information from the external affairs department regarding this year’s conference and conferences of the past.

“To be honest, I don’t know a lot about [the Capital Conference], but it’s not something we run. It’s something we know about here in the political science department [and] we don’t get contacted about it,” said Oberle.

By bridging the gap between CMU faculty members and the conference’s organizers, Oberle hopes the political science department can contribute to the conference’s future success.

“I would be happy to be more involved, in terms of recruiting and advertising. We haven’t advertised it alot and I think we should be involved,” said Oberle.

In spite of the disconnect between departments, Oberle successfully advertised the conference as a valuable event for career development to several of her students.

For those who completed the application, the interview process is still currently underway.

“My teacher Dr. Oberle suggested that I look into the program and I applied for the Capital Conference months ago. I just have to wait now,” said Ruszkowski.

Students unable to secure a scholarship will encounter the aforementioned financial barrier when registering for the conference.

However, the political science department plans to raise funds during CMU’s Day of Giving for political science students interested in attending.

“Cost is a consistent problem with experiential learning opportunities and there are direct and indirect costs involved,” explained Oberle.

“As part of the Day of Giving that CMU always does at the beginning of April, the political science program is doing a fundraising campaign to specifically support experiential learning, including the Capital Conference.”

Regardless of selection status, all attendees of this summer’s Colorado Capital Conference will benefit fromthe trip, witnessing the many aspects of Congress’s legislative process that often lie behind closed doors.

“The conference has been eye opening for a lot of students, in terms of how much our elected officials work together, even across bipartisan lines,” said Wagner. “There is a temptation to think that things are so broken in Washington and a lot of students have been surprised by how much collaboration happens during the conference.”