Student from Dartmouth, N.H., Spends Semester in Washington
HARTMAN
The New Bedford Standard-Times
Courtney Hime
Boston University Washington News Service
December 10, 2008
WASHINGTON –Dan Hartman had every intention of completing his senior year at Tufts University, just like his fellow classmates.
But last June, while interning at Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc., Mr. Hartman applied to intern in the fall at the White House, a position he had unsuccessfully applied for in the spring. This time, however, he was accepted.
“It was somewhat of a surprise, and I had already been prepared to go back to Tufts for the fall semester and I immediately had to change gears,” he said. “I had to take a semester off.”
A semester away, perhaps, but not a semester off, says Jeffrey M. Berry, a political science professor at Tufts and Mr. Hartman’s adviser.
“I don’t feel like he really is taking a semester off. I think this is part of his education as a political science student,” he said. “He’s enriching his education in ways that we could never teach him at Tufts.”
While Mr. Hartman will have to take a few summer classes to complete his college courses, he will still be allowed to graduate with the rest of his class in June 2009.
“It’s been totally worth it,” he said. “The White House doesn’t call very often, and when it does, you have to take it.”
Mr. Hartman’s choice to intern at the White House shouldn’t come as a surprise. At Tufts, he is double majoring in political science and economics. He has been active in College Republicans, serving as president of the organization last year. He also helped out with Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign from August 2007 until the campaign ended in February.
His political interests were apparent in high school as well when he was voted “Class Politician” and “Most Likely to Succeed” by Dartmouth High School’s 2005 class.
“He’s really, really psyched about political science and always been involved in political science since he was a kid,” said his mother, Debra Hartman. “That’s his passion in life, and I couldn’t see him doing anything other than this.”
The experience working at the White House, he said, has exceeded his expectations.
“I expected to be getting coffee and doing photocopies and what not, and it ended up being totally different than that,” Mr. Hartman said.
He worked why past tense? from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. every day and spent the day reading and analyzing the news as well as conducting research on issues that concern the president.
In addition to his daily routine, he has also had the opportunity to meet several higher-level White House staff, including Dana Perino, the presidential press secretary; Steve Preston, secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and even President George W. Bush himself.
But some of the most meaningful experiences occurred away from the White House. During a tour of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum with his fellow interns, Mr. Hartman was given the chance to hear a testimonial from a Holocaust survivor.
“Hearing her story of perseverance is just one of the most inspirational things you can ever think of,” he said. “It kind of taught me that a lot of people have been through much harder than what I’ve ever had to go through, and that if you keep fighting hard, you’re going to succeed in life.”
For the long-time Republican, the 2008 election didn’t turn out the way he had hoped, but he said he still values being in Washington for the excitement.
“Being in Washington in general during the election was an opportunity to really enjoy and to appreciate the democratic process,” he said.
Mr. Hartman said he plans to head back to New York City in July to work on Wall Street. However, his time in Washington has given him a taste of how government directly affects the financial sector.
“Getting to witness firsthand the rescue of the whole financial system after having just worked in the financial system over the summer was a real unique opportunity,” he said. “I think that kind of perspective, the policy side, the government side, will help strengthen my perspective when I go into finance and Wall Street.”
Even though Mr. Hartman’s post-collegiate plans do not immediately include a political run, those close to him say they wouldn’t count his White House internship as his last foray with politics.
“It really wouldn’t surprise me if he pushes to get that far,” his father, Mark Hartman, said of a future career in the political arena. “He definitely has the drive.”
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