The Lyceum Honors College trip and Washington D. Seahawks program match students with mentors in the nation’s capital.

BY: CAROLINE CROPP ’99, ’06M

PHOTOGRAPHY BY: SAJORDEN MILLER AND AARON KING

When he was an instructor in the UNCW Honors College, Aaron King saw an opportunity to expand the annual fall Lyceum trip to Washington.

“The Honors College had been doing the Lyceum since the mid-1990s,” he explained. “It was good to get the students outside of the classroom and take them to the Capitol and the White House. I remember thinking, ‘This is really something that my political science students would enjoy,’ and that is when I came up with Washington D. Seahawks.”

King, who is currently the interim associate director of the Honors College and an associate professor of political science, said the U.S. capital is an ideal destination for many students across academic programs. His initial goals included developing a cost-effective experience that would connect students with potential internships, careers, alumni and practitioners.

“As a young professor, I knew I could teach how to do research and teach about Congress, but what didn’t take many years for me to figure out was students really want to find some success after graduation,” he said. “They want to have a job and a future. So, I started to think more about career development and how they are going to use the skills that they learn at UNCW to translate into the workforce,” he said.

He found support from across the university from the Division of Student Affairs (namely the Career Center), the Alumni Association and individual donors like Morgan Jackson ’96 and Howard Stein.

Jackson, a member of the UNCW Foundation Board of Directors and former chair of the UNCW Board of Visitors, majored in political science and is currently the chief political advisor for North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper and Attorney General Josh Stein. He created and recently endowed the Washington D. Seahawks Support Fund, along with his wife, Shawn Jackson, to help inspire, motivate and broaden students’ horizons through applied learning.

“ As UNCW continues to broaden its appeal, the alumni network is growing. Alumni are prospering in not just the country but around the globe. It is helpful for students to see the Seahawk presence in our nation's capital, to understand how many alumni are there and to know they sat in the same classroom seats and are now working on Capitol Hill and other industries all around," said Jackson.

Howard Stein, a long-time supporter of UNCW and current UNCW Foundation Board member, established the Ruth and Bucky Stein Scholarship Endowment, which supports a variety of scholarship awards across academic disciplines. Stein has participated in two Honors Lyceum trips, leading students on a tour of the Holocaust Museum and treating them to dinner.

"The program gives students an opportunity to do things that perhaps they wouldn't be able to do on their own and expands their horizons. The farther away one can expand their experience, the better their lives can be, the better citizen they can be, and the better they can understand other people and cultures," said Stein.

King recalled the first spring trip to Washington in April 2018.

“We did an alumni event. There was a huge turnout, and it was like a middle school dance. The students are on one side and the alums on the other and then they start mixing and make the connection that this is networking.”

English major Maddie Driggers ’18 was one of the students on that inaugural trip. She heard about the program while working for The Seahawk, UNCW's student newspaper.

She remembers touring the Politico offices, sitting down with members of the Brookings Institution, and making connections with UNCW alumni as “lifechanging.” Two and a half years later, she moved to DC and is the current social media editor for The Washington Post.

“Getting to see first-hand what it would look like to work in journalism in the nation’s capital inspired me," said Driggers. "I’m forever grateful to Dr. King and everyone from UNCW who had a hand in making the trip possible.”

King is pleased that these trips help strengthen the UNCW footprint in Washington. More than 2,500 alumni are in the area, making it UNCW’s largest out-of-state alumni network (as of spring 2024).

“It’s a really good partnership in terms of multiple components of the university working towards this mission. It’s cool to see it grow,” he said.

What students had to say:

Dayana Hernandez-Bermudez ’26

Criminology Major

Security Studies Minor

Hometown: Lenoir, NC

“I am particularly drawn to becoming a juvenile probation officer because I am passionate about helping children navigate challenging circumstances and guiding them toward positive paths. This experience will not only allow me to make a direct impact on young lives but also further develop my skills and readiness for a career in federal law enforcement with the FBI.”

Brian P. Ellis ’25

International Studies Major Economics and Spanish Minor

Hometown: Westford, Massachusetts

“This summer I will be interning for the Institute of World Politics, while participating in The Fund for American Studies international affairs program. My participation in the Washington D. Seahawks Program provides an upper hand on networking skills, career goals and confidence before my summer TFAS experience.”

Olivia Johnson ’26

Business Management and Leadership Major Criminology Minor

Hometown: Port Washington, NY

“Coming down to UNCW, I didn’t expect there to be any New York or DC connections that would help with networking and potential future jobs or internships. Since being in this class and learning more about the Career Center and what it has to offer, I have taken advantage of it. I’m planting new seeds and making new connections.”