NJCU Students Participate in Inauguration Seminar

Three NJCU students, Phil Cranwell ’17, Will Ospina ’19, and Richard Pastrana ’16, ’17 M.S., were recently selected to attend The Washington Center’s Presidential Inauguration Seminar. The event, which takes place in the nation’s capital from January 9 through Inauguration Day, consists of a series of lectures; panel discussions; and site visits to government agencies, think tanks, and embassies to analyze the most pressing policy issues facing the U.S. The NJCU students’ participation in the seminar was partially financed by the University’s President’s Office. Cranwell, a political science major, works as a captain in the North Hudson Fire Department and plans to pursue a law degree. Ospina is a double major in history and political science is studying be an educator. Pastrana, the NJCU senior class president for the 2015-16 school year, currently works at the University’s Office of Student Outreach and Retention (SOAR) and is pursuing his master’s in criminal science. The Washington Center seminar will offer college credit for the NJCU students, all of whom will be required to complete a rigorous academic workload that includes daily analytic journal entries, weekly essays, and comprehensive readings and research on matters such as immigration, race and equity, national security, the economy, the environment, and of course, a post mortem on the 2016 election. Cranwell, Ospina and Pastrana have also agreed to document their experiences for NJCU. In the coming days, be sure to check out the University’s social media channels for photos and dispatches from the seminar.