Students Experience Carter Memorial, Presidential Inauguration During D.C. Seminar

Dr. Danielle Mehlman-Brightwell, assistant professor of Public Policy and Communication and Director of The Office of Community Outreach at Pitt-Greensburg, and seven of her students spent eight days in Washington, D.C. for the Presidential Inauguration Seminar. 

The trip was part of an experiential learning opportunity linked to the course Policy Practicum: Systems Thinking Seminar and Experience. An application process was required for students who wanted to participate in the course and trip to Washington, D.C. The students that were accepted and Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell spent their time participating in panels, sightseeing, and going to different events.

“It was a very productive trip and students learned a great deal about the presidential inauguration and the turning over from one president to another,” Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell says. 

Each day was filled with panels and site visits. Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell says that at the panels, students asked engaging questions and networked with panelists and students from different schools. Some site visits included the British Embassy, the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the American Enterprise Institute, and others. 

Student Debany Renovato, a sophomore social work major and pre-law minor, was one of the students on the trip. 

“I got the great opportunity to connect with leaders, political experts, journalists, and other insiders leading up to the 2025 Presidential Administration change,” Renovato says. 

When they were in D.C., former President Carter passed away. Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell and her students were able to attend the lie in state. They waited in line for four hours, but according to Renovato and Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell the lie in state was the trip’s highlight. 

“This experience was deeply moving and a reminder of the legacy of leadership that President Carter exemplified throughout his life,” Renovato says. 

Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell agrees.

“It was a surreal experience,” Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell says. “I think Jimmy Carter would have been proud of how we pushed through to show our respects.”

At the Library of Congress, Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell says that students found potential research opportunities, and now that they are back in the classroom, they are applying what they learned and will participate in panels throughout the rest of the semester.

“We’ll conclude at the PERKS panel, which is our on campus symposium. The students will present to Pitt-Greensburg students and faculty and staff about their research that they did in D.C.,” Dr. Mehlman-Brightwell says.